Things I learned the week of the royal wedding in London
May 9th, 2011, 09:26 AM
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Things I learned the week of the royal wedding in London
I posted earlier on our excursion the week prior to the wedding so this report will include the four days leading up to the wedding, the wedding, and four days afterwards. Due to previous feedback, I’ve listed prices paid (adult/concessions) and also any discounts that we took advantage of. We used the Days Out Guide 2 for 1 vouchers extensively and tried to see some of the lesser known museums that we hadn’t seen previously.
Day 1 - After touring the countryside for a week, we turned in the rental car at Heathrow and took the tube to Holborn station and then a two minute walk to 10 Red Lion Square for a stay in a one bedroom apartment on the second floor (flat 5). It’s above the Square Pig pub and surprisingly we found little noise from the pub below. The apartment is nicely furnished (£1203.95 for 9 nights) with a lift, modern kitchen with washer/dryer, wifi, and bath with shower & tub. It also has a sofa bed that can sleep two. We are early (11:00am) and the apartment isn’t ready, but we are able to drop off our luggage, get instructions on how everything works, and get the keys for a return a few hours later.
I had queried our local TV station to see where they would be reporting from in London this week and got a call from a reporter wanting to do a story on us. We met the reporter and cameraman at Westminster Abbey and spent the next half hour filming an interview of which about two minutes was used on the evening news. (see http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/trave...8/#/vid1076424 ) We realized after the filming that we mistakenly said Elizabeth was responsible for beheading Sir Walter Raleigh and wouldn’t you know, of 30 minutes of taping, that one phrase ends up in the two minute broadcast. Oh well, most of the folks back in NC probably didn’t catch it anyway. We make our way to Chinatown for a wonderful meal and then back to the apartment to email everyone about the TV interview.
Day 2 – It’s Wednesday before the Friday wedding so we decide to check out the wedding route and see where we might possibly stand on Friday. We catch the tube over to Green Park and find that a large corner of the park is a tent city of journalist from all over. Even facing Buckingham palace there are 3 story temporary structures for the media around the circle in front. We strolled through St. James Park taking photos of the flowers in bloom on the way to Trafalgar Square. There is Nelson’s ship in a bottle on the fourth plinth which seems very appropriate. NBC occupies a large space on the north east side.
After watching a few minutes of the Today show, we head towards Leicester Square for theater tickets. Along the way my wife spots Janet Henfrey (Mrs. Bale from “As Time Goes By”) and we stop her and have a delightful chat and get several photos. Your never know what type reaction you will get when approaching someone you recognize and Ms Henfrey couldn’t have been more gracious, very unlike her character on TV.
At the TKTS booth, we decide on “Love Never Dies”, the Phantom sequel (£48 – Discounted from £67.50). On to Covent Garden with a quick lunch along the way and a stop in Icecreamist for a cone of ice cream. This is the place that serves breast milk ice cream, but they were out so I opted for chocolate. We stroll around Covent Garden picking up a few souvenirs before going to the Transport Museum (£13/10 – 2 for 1 Discount) which is a very nice collection of cars, trains, and busses. I would still like to know how they got those locomotives and train cars up to the second floor. We complete the day with the evening performance of “Love Never Dies” (8th row, dead center seats) which was superb.
Day 3 – We begin today at Ben Franklin’s House (£7.00 - 2 for 1 Discount). It is initially disappointing when I see that there are absolutely no furnishings, but the one hour tour with a period actress (Polly, his landlady’s daughter) and the audio visual presentations in each room make it well worth a visit. There are five shows a day beginning at noon and we were the only two for our tour so we had Polly to ourselves.
One tube stop later we arrive at Temple stop and take the short walk to Dr. Samuel Johnson’s House (£4.50/3.50 – 2 for 1 Discount). Built around 1700, it is one of the few remaining residential homes in the City. Dr. Johnson (first comprehensive English dictionary) lived here till his death in 1784.
It’s a short walk from Dr. Johnson’s house to Lincoln Inn Fields where we visit Sir John Soane’s Museum (free). The museum contains the collections and personal effects acquired before his death in 1837 and wow, what a collection. This one is a “don’t miss”. We decide to turn in early as tomorrow is the big day and we want to be well rested.
Day 4 – The Wedding Day dilemma: We can either watch the wedding on one of the big screens or stand on the wedding route and catch a glimpse of the royals coming and going. We opt to watch the wedding on the big screen in Trafalgar Square and then try to catch a glimpse of “the kiss” in person. We arrive in Trafalgar Square at 7:00 am and it’s already crowded. Most everyone is seated and we find a place to sit on the edge of one of the fountains with a good view of the screen. They are broadcasting BBC so the four hour wait doesn’t seem all that long. As the final hour approached, an announcement was made for everyone to stand as there were folks still trying to get into the square. Little did we know that thousands were being turned away for lack of room. When everyone stood, it really got crowded as more folks poured in. Thanks to the Sun publishers, everyone had a flag or two to wave and many were dressed in their finest with proper hats (including my wife). The crowd was orderly and there were bars and food stands set up on either side, but you couldn’t get to them from where we were sitting. We watched until after the “I do’s” were said and decided to make our way to the palace. Big mistake! As we left the square, we saw the mobs of people still trying to get in. We first tried Admiralty Arch and it was barricaded. Next, Whitehall, and it was barricaded. We soon realized that any road that would allow you to go towards the palace was blocked. We exited towards Charing Cross and realized that we could exit but not return as the police were only allowing folks to exit the area. We walked to Embankment and caught the tube to St. James where we ran into the same barricaded streets leading to the palace. We continued circling west and as we approached the barricades past Wellington Barracks, the barricades were miraculously removed and there was a rush of folks to fill the space in front of the palace. By the time we couldn’t move any further, we were about 10 yards from the palace gates off to the left with a clear view of the balcony through the fence. The crush of people was quite an experience and I haven’t heard “sorry” so many time ever. After about five minutes, the royals appeared and we saw “the kiss” and “the second kiss” and then it was over.
We thought we would exit towards the mall, but what we didn’t realize was that most of the people on the mall still wanted a closer look and were headed our way. It took us nearly an hour to move from our position in front of the gates to the other side of Queen Victoria’s memorial, a distance of 50 yards. We eventually made our way up Birdcage Walk and over to Westminster Abbey where the bells were still toiling (and would for three hours). We sat a listened to them for a while before heading back to the apartment. It has been a magical day.
In all of the rushing about, my wife had fallen on the uneven pavement and injured her foot, but she didn’t complain and I didn’t realize how bad it was until she removed her shoe later to reveal a swollen blue foot. She really wanted to be there to see “the kiss” and says it was all worth it. I don’t think she felt any pain until we were back at the apartment. For you guys that don’t get it, she says the wedding was her equivalent of the world cup or the super bowl in the US.
Day 5 – My wife wants to start with Harrods today “just to look around” and I leave her there while I go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square to see what we can see for half price that afternoon. “Million Dollar Quartet” (£35 discounted from £55) sounds good as I know I will recognize all of the music. When I return to Harrods, my wife informs me that they have the commemorative wedding coin for £55. I’m not interested because I think it’s overpriced, but I would like to see it as I collect coins. The clerk shows it to me and announces that they only have three left. What is it a about knowing that something may be in short supply that drives your interest up? I am now the proud owner of the silver commemorative coin.
We tube over to Fortnum & Mason to find some ham that we heard about that comes from pigs organically reared on HRH Prince of Wales’ home farm Highgrove Estate. We find it and have it for breakfast the next morning and it is very good, very similar to the dry cured country ham we have back in NC. We see “Million Dollar Quartet” at 3:00 pm and it is a great show, especially if you are a fan of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, or Jerry Lee Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis really did a fantastic job. We finish the day with another fine dinner in China Town.
Day 6 – We start the day at the Tate Britain (free) and the special Watercolour exhibition (£12.70/10.90 2 for 1 Discount). We enjoyed this special exhibit and it really does give you a new appreciation for how watercolors were used over the past 800 years. If you plan to visit the rest of the Tate and do the Watercolour exhibit, you should delay purchasing your Watercolour ticket until just before entering that exhibit as the ticket is timed and must be used within 30 minutes.
Our next stop is the Chelsea Physic Garden which doesn’t look that far on the map. A £10 taxi ride later, we arrive at the entrance of Chelsea Physic Garden (£8.00 – 2 for 1 Discount). We tour the gardens and purchase some souveniers. It’s a short walk to the Army Musuem (free) where we stop in the café to catch our breath. The Army Museum is another one of those places that my wife can see in 2 hours and it takes me 2 days. After 2 hours, we move down the street to the Royal Hospital and take a walk around and into the dining hall where we meet a pensioner, fully decked out in his red outfit, who is quite chatty and gives us a history lesson. Afterwards, we tube back to the apartment and call a friend who had arrived the day before from Australia to do a pediatric residency. We soon realized that she was staying just 2 blocks from us so we rendezvous with her, enjoy a delicious Indian dinner and then turn in for the day.
Day 7 - Can’t believe we’ve been in the UK for two weeks and haven’t seen a drop of rain. We decide to do some of the attractions around London Bridge as we have 2 for 1 vouchers for most so we start with Churchill’s Britain at War (£12.95/5.50 - 2 for 1 Discount). I liked its focus on what it felt like to be a British citizen during the war, from rationing to air raids. We next took the short walk to the Golden Hinde (£6.00/4.50 - 2 for 1 Discount) which seemed like a rowboat after touring HMS Victory last week. A minute further and the Clink Prison Museum (£6.00/5.50 - 2 for 1 Discount) offers a look at prison life hundreds of years ago with lots of hands on stuff for the kids. We next stopped at the Old Operating Theatre (£5.90/4.90 - 2 for 1 Discount). It’s not an easy museum to find. I asked a policeman standing just 50 yards from the entrance for directions and he said he had never heard of it. I found the collection most fascinating but for those not in health care, you might want to skip this one. I must be getting old as some of the surgical items on display looked awfully similar to instruments I used in the OR many years ago. For any nurses, this is where Florence had her first school.
We came back to Leicester Square to see what was playing tonight and decide on Dirty Dancing (£45 Discounted from £95). It’s uncanny that we have purchased discounted tickets three times now at the TKTS booth and have gotten 8th row center seats every time. The TKTS booth is at the entrance of the Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel and we have 2 for 1 vouchers for afternoon tea (£17.00 - 2 for 1) so we pop in for the sandwiches, scones, and sweets. Very good selection. We make our way back to the apartment and get ready for an evening out. Of the four productions we saw in London, Dirty Dancing was my least favorite. It was OK, but “Johnny” was no Patrick Swayze.
Day 8 – We start the day at the V&A Museum (free) and the special exhibition “The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860 -1900” (£12.00/9.00 - 2 for 1 Discount). It takes about an hour and we continue touring in the rest of the V&A for another hour before we head up the street to Royal Albert Hall for the 12:30 tour. We arrive at the Royal Albert Hall (£8.50/7.50 - 2 for 1 Discount) for the 12:30 tour and Richard takes us on an hour long tour that is one of the best we have had. Even if you have been to a performance there, you really need to take the tour. You will go places (Queen’s box) and see areas that are off limits to most patrons. Richard provided a lot of historical information in the one hour tour and he knows so much additional insider information. We exit at 1:30 and decide to try another afternoon tea. We have a 2 for 1 voucher for the Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt (£15 - 2 for 1 Discount) on Cromwell Road so we arrive there at 2:00 pm for afternoon tea. While enjoying our tea, we overhear conversation from the next table that has a distinctive southern drawl. Sure enough, the folks are from our home town. What are the chances?
In all our trips to London, we have never gone to Madame Taussauds (£28.80 - 2 for 1 Discount) as it never held any appeal for us, but with a 2 for 1 voucher in hand, we decide to see why it is so popular. On arrival, it is quickly apparent who it is popular with. There are hundreds of young folks waiting in the “groups” queue, but no one in the regular admission queue. We make our way through and it’s pretty much as I expected. Glad we had the 2 for 1 vouchers.
That evening we decide on “Betty Blue Eyes” (£59.50 discounted to £25) While researching theater productions on line, I found that the Novello Theater had a promotion for seniors, students, and apparently anyone else that asks, where you can get the best available seats on the day of production for £25. TKTS discounted price was £38.50. We got 4th row and thoroughly enjoyed it. Betty Blue Eyes is a pig being raised illegally just after WWII during times of rationing. Funny with lots of good musical numbers.
Day 9 – Last full day in London and we plan to squeeze three attractions in starting with Kew Gardens followed by Ham House Museum and Dulwich Picture Gallery. We severely underestimated how long Kew Gardens would take. Kew Gardens (£13.90/11.90 - 2 for 1 Discount) is an easy trip from Central London and we arrive around 10am. We opt to do the “hop on/off” trolley (£4) and take it all the way around (40 minutes) to get an idea of the layout. Six hours later we are still exploring the massive gardens. Ham House and Dulwich will have to wait till another trip.
After returning to our apartment, we decide to book a table at Bacco Restaurant on Red Lion Street, which was just a minutes’ walk away. What a gem. This small Italian restaurant was perfect for our final London dinner. The eggplant parmesan starter is one of those dishes you wish was a main course. I had lamb and my wife had veal and both were excellent. The chocolate mousse dessert was like eating a truffle. Total for four courses (x 2) including wine and service was £113.
Since my wife was still limping from the foot sprain, we had decided to use a car service rather than take the tube back to Heathrow. I had booked a car through Simply Airports’ web site which is straightforward and easy to use. The car arrived 10 minutes early. The cost to Heathrow was £30 for a basic sedan if you pay with cash and £5 extra for using a credit card. It’s a little more for the trip from the airport to London as they include a 45 minute wait for incoming flights. On our way to the airport, we saw our first drop of rain during our 2 ½ week trip. The plane was half full so we were able to stretch out on the eight hour trip back to Raleigh. The following day, my wife decides her foot really isn’t any better and an x-ray reveals that she actually has a broken foot. I can’t believe she’s been walking around all week on a broken foot. It’s probably best she didn’t know it was broken as it would have slowed her down.
Overall, I’ll have to say that this was one of our best trips every. Perfect weather and got to see the wedding and then “the kiss” in person. My wife is still on cloud 9. Most everybody we met was excited about the wedding. I guess all the naysayers had gone on holiday elsewhere.
Other Observations:
Service included – We found that more restaurants are including a 10 – 12% service charge on the bill and some do it without any note. Both times that we ate in Chinatown, 10% was added but not itemized so be careful that you don’t add it again.
Mobile phones – We had used Tesco sim cards on a trip over a year ago and surprisingly, they still worked this time. Most of the sims I have used in the UK are cancelled due to inactivity after 6 months, but these still carried the same balance I had more than a year ago. Also, please note that it is unlawful to use a cell phone while driving in the UK.
2 for 1 Vouchers – It’s been said here before, but remember that you must have a train ticket to take advantage of these vouchers. Most museums asked to see the train tickets with one actually making copies of our train tickets. If you purchase travelcards, it must be from a train station, not an underground station. Oyster cards won’t work for the discount. Most places gave us 2 for 1 on the concessions price although some museums only do the 2 for 1 on the full adult price. Our savings was nearly $300 for the week.
If you have questions, post here or email me at [email protected].
Day 1 - After touring the countryside for a week, we turned in the rental car at Heathrow and took the tube to Holborn station and then a two minute walk to 10 Red Lion Square for a stay in a one bedroom apartment on the second floor (flat 5). It’s above the Square Pig pub and surprisingly we found little noise from the pub below. The apartment is nicely furnished (£1203.95 for 9 nights) with a lift, modern kitchen with washer/dryer, wifi, and bath with shower & tub. It also has a sofa bed that can sleep two. We are early (11:00am) and the apartment isn’t ready, but we are able to drop off our luggage, get instructions on how everything works, and get the keys for a return a few hours later.
I had queried our local TV station to see where they would be reporting from in London this week and got a call from a reporter wanting to do a story on us. We met the reporter and cameraman at Westminster Abbey and spent the next half hour filming an interview of which about two minutes was used on the evening news. (see http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/trave...8/#/vid1076424 ) We realized after the filming that we mistakenly said Elizabeth was responsible for beheading Sir Walter Raleigh and wouldn’t you know, of 30 minutes of taping, that one phrase ends up in the two minute broadcast. Oh well, most of the folks back in NC probably didn’t catch it anyway. We make our way to Chinatown for a wonderful meal and then back to the apartment to email everyone about the TV interview.
Day 2 – It’s Wednesday before the Friday wedding so we decide to check out the wedding route and see where we might possibly stand on Friday. We catch the tube over to Green Park and find that a large corner of the park is a tent city of journalist from all over. Even facing Buckingham palace there are 3 story temporary structures for the media around the circle in front. We strolled through St. James Park taking photos of the flowers in bloom on the way to Trafalgar Square. There is Nelson’s ship in a bottle on the fourth plinth which seems very appropriate. NBC occupies a large space on the north east side.
After watching a few minutes of the Today show, we head towards Leicester Square for theater tickets. Along the way my wife spots Janet Henfrey (Mrs. Bale from “As Time Goes By”) and we stop her and have a delightful chat and get several photos. Your never know what type reaction you will get when approaching someone you recognize and Ms Henfrey couldn’t have been more gracious, very unlike her character on TV.
At the TKTS booth, we decide on “Love Never Dies”, the Phantom sequel (£48 – Discounted from £67.50). On to Covent Garden with a quick lunch along the way and a stop in Icecreamist for a cone of ice cream. This is the place that serves breast milk ice cream, but they were out so I opted for chocolate. We stroll around Covent Garden picking up a few souvenirs before going to the Transport Museum (£13/10 – 2 for 1 Discount) which is a very nice collection of cars, trains, and busses. I would still like to know how they got those locomotives and train cars up to the second floor. We complete the day with the evening performance of “Love Never Dies” (8th row, dead center seats) which was superb.
Day 3 – We begin today at Ben Franklin’s House (£7.00 - 2 for 1 Discount). It is initially disappointing when I see that there are absolutely no furnishings, but the one hour tour with a period actress (Polly, his landlady’s daughter) and the audio visual presentations in each room make it well worth a visit. There are five shows a day beginning at noon and we were the only two for our tour so we had Polly to ourselves.
One tube stop later we arrive at Temple stop and take the short walk to Dr. Samuel Johnson’s House (£4.50/3.50 – 2 for 1 Discount). Built around 1700, it is one of the few remaining residential homes in the City. Dr. Johnson (first comprehensive English dictionary) lived here till his death in 1784.
It’s a short walk from Dr. Johnson’s house to Lincoln Inn Fields where we visit Sir John Soane’s Museum (free). The museum contains the collections and personal effects acquired before his death in 1837 and wow, what a collection. This one is a “don’t miss”. We decide to turn in early as tomorrow is the big day and we want to be well rested.
Day 4 – The Wedding Day dilemma: We can either watch the wedding on one of the big screens or stand on the wedding route and catch a glimpse of the royals coming and going. We opt to watch the wedding on the big screen in Trafalgar Square and then try to catch a glimpse of “the kiss” in person. We arrive in Trafalgar Square at 7:00 am and it’s already crowded. Most everyone is seated and we find a place to sit on the edge of one of the fountains with a good view of the screen. They are broadcasting BBC so the four hour wait doesn’t seem all that long. As the final hour approached, an announcement was made for everyone to stand as there were folks still trying to get into the square. Little did we know that thousands were being turned away for lack of room. When everyone stood, it really got crowded as more folks poured in. Thanks to the Sun publishers, everyone had a flag or two to wave and many were dressed in their finest with proper hats (including my wife). The crowd was orderly and there were bars and food stands set up on either side, but you couldn’t get to them from where we were sitting. We watched until after the “I do’s” were said and decided to make our way to the palace. Big mistake! As we left the square, we saw the mobs of people still trying to get in. We first tried Admiralty Arch and it was barricaded. Next, Whitehall, and it was barricaded. We soon realized that any road that would allow you to go towards the palace was blocked. We exited towards Charing Cross and realized that we could exit but not return as the police were only allowing folks to exit the area. We walked to Embankment and caught the tube to St. James where we ran into the same barricaded streets leading to the palace. We continued circling west and as we approached the barricades past Wellington Barracks, the barricades were miraculously removed and there was a rush of folks to fill the space in front of the palace. By the time we couldn’t move any further, we were about 10 yards from the palace gates off to the left with a clear view of the balcony through the fence. The crush of people was quite an experience and I haven’t heard “sorry” so many time ever. After about five minutes, the royals appeared and we saw “the kiss” and “the second kiss” and then it was over.
We thought we would exit towards the mall, but what we didn’t realize was that most of the people on the mall still wanted a closer look and were headed our way. It took us nearly an hour to move from our position in front of the gates to the other side of Queen Victoria’s memorial, a distance of 50 yards. We eventually made our way up Birdcage Walk and over to Westminster Abbey where the bells were still toiling (and would for three hours). We sat a listened to them for a while before heading back to the apartment. It has been a magical day.
In all of the rushing about, my wife had fallen on the uneven pavement and injured her foot, but she didn’t complain and I didn’t realize how bad it was until she removed her shoe later to reveal a swollen blue foot. She really wanted to be there to see “the kiss” and says it was all worth it. I don’t think she felt any pain until we were back at the apartment. For you guys that don’t get it, she says the wedding was her equivalent of the world cup or the super bowl in the US.
Day 5 – My wife wants to start with Harrods today “just to look around” and I leave her there while I go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square to see what we can see for half price that afternoon. “Million Dollar Quartet” (£35 discounted from £55) sounds good as I know I will recognize all of the music. When I return to Harrods, my wife informs me that they have the commemorative wedding coin for £55. I’m not interested because I think it’s overpriced, but I would like to see it as I collect coins. The clerk shows it to me and announces that they only have three left. What is it a about knowing that something may be in short supply that drives your interest up? I am now the proud owner of the silver commemorative coin.
We tube over to Fortnum & Mason to find some ham that we heard about that comes from pigs organically reared on HRH Prince of Wales’ home farm Highgrove Estate. We find it and have it for breakfast the next morning and it is very good, very similar to the dry cured country ham we have back in NC. We see “Million Dollar Quartet” at 3:00 pm and it is a great show, especially if you are a fan of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, or Jerry Lee Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis really did a fantastic job. We finish the day with another fine dinner in China Town.
Day 6 – We start the day at the Tate Britain (free) and the special Watercolour exhibition (£12.70/10.90 2 for 1 Discount). We enjoyed this special exhibit and it really does give you a new appreciation for how watercolors were used over the past 800 years. If you plan to visit the rest of the Tate and do the Watercolour exhibit, you should delay purchasing your Watercolour ticket until just before entering that exhibit as the ticket is timed and must be used within 30 minutes.
Our next stop is the Chelsea Physic Garden which doesn’t look that far on the map. A £10 taxi ride later, we arrive at the entrance of Chelsea Physic Garden (£8.00 – 2 for 1 Discount). We tour the gardens and purchase some souveniers. It’s a short walk to the Army Musuem (free) where we stop in the café to catch our breath. The Army Museum is another one of those places that my wife can see in 2 hours and it takes me 2 days. After 2 hours, we move down the street to the Royal Hospital and take a walk around and into the dining hall where we meet a pensioner, fully decked out in his red outfit, who is quite chatty and gives us a history lesson. Afterwards, we tube back to the apartment and call a friend who had arrived the day before from Australia to do a pediatric residency. We soon realized that she was staying just 2 blocks from us so we rendezvous with her, enjoy a delicious Indian dinner and then turn in for the day.
Day 7 - Can’t believe we’ve been in the UK for two weeks and haven’t seen a drop of rain. We decide to do some of the attractions around London Bridge as we have 2 for 1 vouchers for most so we start with Churchill’s Britain at War (£12.95/5.50 - 2 for 1 Discount). I liked its focus on what it felt like to be a British citizen during the war, from rationing to air raids. We next took the short walk to the Golden Hinde (£6.00/4.50 - 2 for 1 Discount) which seemed like a rowboat after touring HMS Victory last week. A minute further and the Clink Prison Museum (£6.00/5.50 - 2 for 1 Discount) offers a look at prison life hundreds of years ago with lots of hands on stuff for the kids. We next stopped at the Old Operating Theatre (£5.90/4.90 - 2 for 1 Discount). It’s not an easy museum to find. I asked a policeman standing just 50 yards from the entrance for directions and he said he had never heard of it. I found the collection most fascinating but for those not in health care, you might want to skip this one. I must be getting old as some of the surgical items on display looked awfully similar to instruments I used in the OR many years ago. For any nurses, this is where Florence had her first school.
We came back to Leicester Square to see what was playing tonight and decide on Dirty Dancing (£45 Discounted from £95). It’s uncanny that we have purchased discounted tickets three times now at the TKTS booth and have gotten 8th row center seats every time. The TKTS booth is at the entrance of the Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel and we have 2 for 1 vouchers for afternoon tea (£17.00 - 2 for 1) so we pop in for the sandwiches, scones, and sweets. Very good selection. We make our way back to the apartment and get ready for an evening out. Of the four productions we saw in London, Dirty Dancing was my least favorite. It was OK, but “Johnny” was no Patrick Swayze.
Day 8 – We start the day at the V&A Museum (free) and the special exhibition “The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860 -1900” (£12.00/9.00 - 2 for 1 Discount). It takes about an hour and we continue touring in the rest of the V&A for another hour before we head up the street to Royal Albert Hall for the 12:30 tour. We arrive at the Royal Albert Hall (£8.50/7.50 - 2 for 1 Discount) for the 12:30 tour and Richard takes us on an hour long tour that is one of the best we have had. Even if you have been to a performance there, you really need to take the tour. You will go places (Queen’s box) and see areas that are off limits to most patrons. Richard provided a lot of historical information in the one hour tour and he knows so much additional insider information. We exit at 1:30 and decide to try another afternoon tea. We have a 2 for 1 voucher for the Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt (£15 - 2 for 1 Discount) on Cromwell Road so we arrive there at 2:00 pm for afternoon tea. While enjoying our tea, we overhear conversation from the next table that has a distinctive southern drawl. Sure enough, the folks are from our home town. What are the chances?
In all our trips to London, we have never gone to Madame Taussauds (£28.80 - 2 for 1 Discount) as it never held any appeal for us, but with a 2 for 1 voucher in hand, we decide to see why it is so popular. On arrival, it is quickly apparent who it is popular with. There are hundreds of young folks waiting in the “groups” queue, but no one in the regular admission queue. We make our way through and it’s pretty much as I expected. Glad we had the 2 for 1 vouchers.
That evening we decide on “Betty Blue Eyes” (£59.50 discounted to £25) While researching theater productions on line, I found that the Novello Theater had a promotion for seniors, students, and apparently anyone else that asks, where you can get the best available seats on the day of production for £25. TKTS discounted price was £38.50. We got 4th row and thoroughly enjoyed it. Betty Blue Eyes is a pig being raised illegally just after WWII during times of rationing. Funny with lots of good musical numbers.
Day 9 – Last full day in London and we plan to squeeze three attractions in starting with Kew Gardens followed by Ham House Museum and Dulwich Picture Gallery. We severely underestimated how long Kew Gardens would take. Kew Gardens (£13.90/11.90 - 2 for 1 Discount) is an easy trip from Central London and we arrive around 10am. We opt to do the “hop on/off” trolley (£4) and take it all the way around (40 minutes) to get an idea of the layout. Six hours later we are still exploring the massive gardens. Ham House and Dulwich will have to wait till another trip.
After returning to our apartment, we decide to book a table at Bacco Restaurant on Red Lion Street, which was just a minutes’ walk away. What a gem. This small Italian restaurant was perfect for our final London dinner. The eggplant parmesan starter is one of those dishes you wish was a main course. I had lamb and my wife had veal and both were excellent. The chocolate mousse dessert was like eating a truffle. Total for four courses (x 2) including wine and service was £113.
Since my wife was still limping from the foot sprain, we had decided to use a car service rather than take the tube back to Heathrow. I had booked a car through Simply Airports’ web site which is straightforward and easy to use. The car arrived 10 minutes early. The cost to Heathrow was £30 for a basic sedan if you pay with cash and £5 extra for using a credit card. It’s a little more for the trip from the airport to London as they include a 45 minute wait for incoming flights. On our way to the airport, we saw our first drop of rain during our 2 ½ week trip. The plane was half full so we were able to stretch out on the eight hour trip back to Raleigh. The following day, my wife decides her foot really isn’t any better and an x-ray reveals that she actually has a broken foot. I can’t believe she’s been walking around all week on a broken foot. It’s probably best she didn’t know it was broken as it would have slowed her down.
Overall, I’ll have to say that this was one of our best trips every. Perfect weather and got to see the wedding and then “the kiss” in person. My wife is still on cloud 9. Most everybody we met was excited about the wedding. I guess all the naysayers had gone on holiday elsewhere.
Other Observations:
Service included – We found that more restaurants are including a 10 – 12% service charge on the bill and some do it without any note. Both times that we ate in Chinatown, 10% was added but not itemized so be careful that you don’t add it again.
Mobile phones – We had used Tesco sim cards on a trip over a year ago and surprisingly, they still worked this time. Most of the sims I have used in the UK are cancelled due to inactivity after 6 months, but these still carried the same balance I had more than a year ago. Also, please note that it is unlawful to use a cell phone while driving in the UK.
2 for 1 Vouchers – It’s been said here before, but remember that you must have a train ticket to take advantage of these vouchers. Most museums asked to see the train tickets with one actually making copies of our train tickets. If you purchase travelcards, it must be from a train station, not an underground station. Oyster cards won’t work for the discount. Most places gave us 2 for 1 on the concessions price although some museums only do the 2 for 1 on the full adult price. Our savings was nearly $300 for the week.
If you have questions, post here or email me at [email protected].
May 9th, 2011, 10:21 AM
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Gosh, you posted this second part quickly! I've only just read the first few days (and posted on that thread). It might be an idea to post the link to part 2 on your first thread, and vice versa, just to make it easy for those of us unfamiliar to Fodors to find it. Otherwise it's a case of click on your name...
But it's great - and to think you were in that huge crowd in front of Buckingham Palace - that's amazing! And featured on your local television station too. That must make the whole trip worth while.
I hope your wife's foot heals as quickly as possible and causes no further trouble. After all, I don't suppose it will be too many years before Prince Harry takes his turn at the altar - yes it will be much lower key than that of his brother, but it will still be something of an event. Will you come back for that?
BTW, if you return to England, and haven't already been to the Cotswolds - then you might be interested to know that Prince Charles' Highgrove Estate is in the southern part, with a very good shop in the market town of Tetbury.
Once I was testing out organic vegetable boxes, delivered to your home - the Duchy one from Highgrove was nowhere near as good or value for money as some of the others I tested. So I don't get my veggies grown by Prince Charles!
The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, also lives nearby. I often see Zara (Phillips) and Mike (Tindall) - that will be the next marriage of a grandchild of the Queen to take place, in Scotland in August - around here, slightly less so since they bought a house in Cheltenham a few miles away. Zara's horses are still stabled just down the hill and up the other side at Gatcombe.
But thank you again for posting such a vivid first-hand report of the Wedding in London.
But it's great - and to think you were in that huge crowd in front of Buckingham Palace - that's amazing! And featured on your local television station too. That must make the whole trip worth while.
I hope your wife's foot heals as quickly as possible and causes no further trouble. After all, I don't suppose it will be too many years before Prince Harry takes his turn at the altar - yes it will be much lower key than that of his brother, but it will still be something of an event. Will you come back for that?
BTW, if you return to England, and haven't already been to the Cotswolds - then you might be interested to know that Prince Charles' Highgrove Estate is in the southern part, with a very good shop in the market town of Tetbury.
Once I was testing out organic vegetable boxes, delivered to your home - the Duchy one from Highgrove was nowhere near as good or value for money as some of the others I tested. So I don't get my veggies grown by Prince Charles!
The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, also lives nearby. I often see Zara (Phillips) and Mike (Tindall) - that will be the next marriage of a grandchild of the Queen to take place, in Scotland in August - around here, slightly less so since they bought a house in Cheltenham a few miles away. Zara's horses are still stabled just down the hill and up the other side at Gatcombe.
But thank you again for posting such a vivid first-hand report of the Wedding in London.
May 9th, 2011, 10:58 AM
#5
Here is the other thread http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-to-sussex.cfm
May 9th, 2011, 05:05 PM
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jeff49,
Great Report. This will help us a lot for our trip to London next month.
Can you give me tips on finding a good apartment for a 6 night stay and any recommendations? We are a family of 4 (Children ages 15 & 10).
Thanks a lot
Great Report. This will help us a lot for our trip to London next month.
Can you give me tips on finding a good apartment for a 6 night stay and any recommendations? We are a family of 4 (Children ages 15 & 10).
Thanks a lot
May 10th, 2011, 04:35 AM
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Julia_t,
Thanks, we’ve visited the Cotswolds, but never the specific areas you mentioned. We’ll put that on our list for a future trip.
Jcdaddy,
I checked the apartments that we have stayed in recently and all are booked through August. Most recently, I booked through holidaylettings.co.uk. You can do a search there putting in your dates and size apartment that you will need and you may get a hit. When we book an apartment, I have a criteria list that includes “location” as the top priority. If it’s not near a tube stop, I don’t consider it. I’m not going to waste an hour each day getting to and from the attractions. Secondly, I’m not going to carry luggage up 5 flights or climb 5 flights of stairs after a long day of walking the city so it must have a lift or be on the ground or first floor. Thirdly, in order to pack light, the apartment must have a washer. Lastly, we depend heavily on the internet for research & communications so it needs to have wifi and/or computer access. I’m not too particular about the other amenities as we spend so little time in the apartment. Hope this helps.
Janisj,
You are so right about the 2for1. You can really save a bundle. It also encouraged us to see some places that we might have otherwise skipped. Also, thanks for all your helpful advice over the years. It’s folks like you that make my trip planning so much easier.
Update on wife’s broken foot:
She saw the orthopedist yesterday and was put in a cast for two weeks at which time a decision will be made about surgery and pin placement. She still says it was all worth it.
Thanks, we’ve visited the Cotswolds, but never the specific areas you mentioned. We’ll put that on our list for a future trip.
Jcdaddy,
I checked the apartments that we have stayed in recently and all are booked through August. Most recently, I booked through holidaylettings.co.uk. You can do a search there putting in your dates and size apartment that you will need and you may get a hit. When we book an apartment, I have a criteria list that includes “location” as the top priority. If it’s not near a tube stop, I don’t consider it. I’m not going to waste an hour each day getting to and from the attractions. Secondly, I’m not going to carry luggage up 5 flights or climb 5 flights of stairs after a long day of walking the city so it must have a lift or be on the ground or first floor. Thirdly, in order to pack light, the apartment must have a washer. Lastly, we depend heavily on the internet for research & communications so it needs to have wifi and/or computer access. I’m not too particular about the other amenities as we spend so little time in the apartment. Hope this helps.
Janisj,
You are so right about the 2for1. You can really save a bundle. It also encouraged us to see some places that we might have otherwise skipped. Also, thanks for all your helpful advice over the years. It’s folks like you that make my trip planning so much easier.
Update on wife’s broken foot:
She saw the orthopedist yesterday and was put in a cast for two weeks at which time a decision will be made about surgery and pin placement. She still says it was all worth it.
