yk's London/Oxford Trip Report - 6 days of art, music, historic houses - a journey through English history
Nov 8th, 2008, 12:14 PM
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<b>Day 5 - Imperial War Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Opera House</b>
This morning, I "treated" myself to breakfast at the hotel. The reason I use "" is because I didn't have to pay for it.
6 months ago, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Regents Park. There was a minor issue w/my stay so I wrote a complaint email to HI. As a compensation, they sent me 3 US$10 vouchers. Because my hotel stay this time was prepaid through Priceline, the only way to use the vouchers is to have breakfast.
I cannot imagine anyone eating there if they have to pay out of their own pocket. The choices are the £14.95 continental buffet breakfast, or the £16.95 full English buffet breakfast.
The continental buffet offers bread, croissants, cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, fruit, tomatoes/cucumbers. There're also various juices, coffee/tea. I just cannot believe they charge so much for this.
The English breakfast includes everything on the continental section, plus hot food.
The resto was quite busy that morning. I hope everyone is either on business accounts or has a hotel package that includes breakfast.
I ate a lot, as this would serve as both breakfast and lunch for me today.
I walked to South Kensington station and took a bus to Lambeth North to visit the Imperial War Museum. I was in a sightseeing mood and hence chose the bus. It was a great sightseeing route as it passed through many parts of town I have never set foot on.
It went from S Ken to Sloane Sq, then towards the river (where I had a good view of the Battersea power station), through Pimlico, across Vauxhall Bridge and Vauxhall station (huge new apt complex there, and the bus also passed by <b>Brunswick House</b> at 30 Wandsworth Road http://tinyurl.com/5okous), then up Albert Embankment, Black Prince Rd, and finally to the IWM.
But before I went in IWM, I walked up to Westminster Bridge Road to look at No. 121. The building was the office for the <b>Necropolis Railway</b> which connected between London and Brookwood Cemetery. Built during the Victorian era, the railroad was used for funeral trains only (for coffins and mourners). Its service ceased at WWII when it was bombed during the Blitz, but the building still stands.
http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/20/clarke.php
My previous (and only) visit to the <b>Imperial War Museum</b> (free) was last year. That time, I only visited the Holocaust exhibit and ran through the Trench/Blitz experience.
The main reason behind my revisit this time, (I'm a bit embarrased to admit
) is that husband and I have become completely engrossed by the ITV series <i>Foyle's War</i>. We have watched the complete series on PBS as well as on DVD and we just couldn't get enough of it.
http://www.itv.com/Drama/classiccrim...r/default.html
For those of you who aren't familiar with this show, I highly recommend you to rent it. It is a mystery series set during WWII. While the plots involve murder and such, the series depict the lives of the British people on the home front as the war waged on. Actor Michael Kitchen stars at Detective Foyle and his acting is impeccable.
Anyway, back to my trip, I entered the IWM through the front door (which I didn't do last time), and was just in awe the sheer size of the two British 15-inch naval guns placed at the entrance.
The WWII exhibit is located in the Lower Ground floor. My experience there was
Not because of the exhibits or the displays, but because of the ridiculous number of school children there.
The exhibit hall is divided thematically into many small galleries. Each gallery has 2-3 display cases (jam-packed with artifacts, letters, booklets), and measures no more than 10'x10'. Imagine entering a gallery and it is full of school children. Not only I had a hard time reading any of the displays as the kids were blocking it, the decibel level was through the roof. I mean, I'm all for educating the young about the past, but this is absolutely the WORST experience I have ever had in a museum.
Anyhow, I managed to survive this and even learned something new. I didn't realize apart from food rations, there was also clothing rations and each person was given a set # of coupons each year which they could use to buy new clothes. And there were plenty of booklets on display teaching the public how to maximize the life of the clothes, and also strict rules on who/how the coupons could be used.
AS for food rationing, eg, in 1943 each adult could get <u>per week</u>
1 lb meat; 4 oz bacon and ham; 3oz cheese; 1 egg; 2oz cooking fat; 2oz butter; 8oz sugar; 2oz tea.
Come to think of it, there are places in the US that serve 20oz cheeseburgers and people actually eat all of it ONE MEAL!
I went through the Blitz experience again, then off to the <u>Childrens War</u> section. Again, there were plenty of school children but at least this section is more roomy. At the end of Childrens War is the <u>1940 House</u>.
Currently, there is an Ian Fleming/For Your Eyes Only exhibit going on (£8) but I didn't have time for it.
I wish the IWM can come up with some policy for school visits. Perhaps it can be closed one day to the public and use that day for school children visits?
http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.00b
My next stop was Trafalgar Sq, and again I took a bus there. This time, the bus went on Lambeth Road and onto Lambeth Bridge, where I had a great view of the tudor-era <b>Lambeth Palace</b>. (It's not open to public, is it? What's inside now?) Then I finally saw the medieval <b>Jewel Tower</b>, which is on my list to visit next time.
I got off at Trafalgar Sq and arrived at <b>St Martin-in-the-Fields</b> for its 1pm lunchtime concert (free). It offers lunchtime concerts 3x/week on Mon, Tues and Fri.
http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.o...lunchtime.html
The concert today is an organ recital performed by Robert Smith. He played pieces by Clerambault, Hakim, Bales, Bridge, and Widor. These aren't as "new age" as the ones I heard the day before at Westminster Abbey. The concert lasted for 45minutes.
My next stop is the <b>National Portrait Gallery</b> (free) across the street. I also have been there before, but after the last few days of sightseeing, I wanted to re-visit the Tudor Galleries. I spent about 1 hour at the NPG.
http://www.npg.org.uk
I walked to the Royal Opera House to pick up my ticket for tonight (starts at 6:30pm), then over to M&S on Long Acre to buy some teabags and cookies for DH. Then I headed back to the hotel for a nap.
I left the hotel around 4:40pm and took the tube back to Covent Garden for an early dinner before the opera at 6:30pm. Where else would be a better place to eat than <b>Belgo Centraal</b>???
Thanks to Fodorite noe847, I learned that Belgo Centraal offers a <u>Beat the Clock</u> menu M-F between 5-6:30pm. The menu includes a choice of entree plus a drink (beer, wine, or soda/juice), and the price of it is based on the time you order. So if you order at 5:30pm, your bill will be £5.30.
I think I arrived at the restaurant around 5:10pm, but by the time I was seated and given a menu and had my order taken, it was close to 5:30pm. The place was about 1/2 full and seemed like 99.9% of the poeple there ordered from the Beat the Clock menu. The food is served very quickly - since it is a limited menu, I suppose the chefs have already prepared the food way in advance. I chose the <i>Moules Mariniere</i> with fries and a soda.
Although mussels should be in season right now, mine weren't particularly plump. It wasn't that big of a dish, though the excellent fries made up for it. I actually got so full that I didn't have room for their famous bread and butter pudding. I had an espresso instead.
My bill came out to £7.70 (what a great deal!) - they actually charged my menu @ £5.10 which correlated with the time I arrived rather than the time I ordered (to my benefit). A 12.5% service charge was automatically added.
Finally, here is the event I have been waiting for all month long: seeing Juan Diego Florez (JDF for short for the rest of this post) live in <i>Matilde di Shabran</i> at the <b>Royal Opera House</b>!
** Oh, if you are not into opera, you can go ahead and skip the rest of this post. **
Before I talk about the opera, let me first say a few words about <u>getting the ticket</u>. When I saw the AA fare sale a month ago, my immediate reflex was to check ROH's website to see what opera performances would be on in Oct/Nov. My heart literally stopped when I realized it would coincide with JDF's performances. Of course, all 6 performances had been sold out months in advance. However, with a lot of patience, I fianlly managed to buy a seat after 5 days of clicking on ROH's website 10x/day. It must be return tickets, and I had a wide range of prices to choose from: anywhere from £7 to £165. I chose a £65 seat in the side Stall Circle.
(If I weren't able to buy a ticket, my plan B was to wait at the ROH box office on the day of performance. They sell 65 day tickets every morning at 10am. Per the ticket office staff, people lined up for this performance at 7:30am.)
I have always thought £65 is a lot of money, until last night when I was reading some posts over on the US board. Tickets for Wicked! on Broadway go for $120! I think I got a good deal for the ROH in comparison!
For those of you not familiar with JDF, he's Peruvian and is only 35, but already regarded as one of the best <i>bel canto</i> tenor of these days. His path to fame took place in 1996 at the Rossini festival in Pesaro, when he was asked to replace the intended tenor who got sick, just one week before the performance. JDF learned the part and stunned the world with his singing, while he was only 23 at that time. And what opera did he sing at that time? <i>Matilde di Shabran</i>.
From then on, it was engagement after engagement at the top opera houses in Europe. His ROH debut was in 1997, but he didn't make his US debut until 2000. Where did this take place? As Lindoro in <i>L'Italiana in Algeri</i> at the Opera Company of Philadelphia. This may seem to be an odd choice for a US debut, and my own personal explanation is that JDF studied at Curtis Institute of Music and probably preferred a US debut in a familiar city. His Metropolitan debut took place in 2002. BTW, I was present at the Nov 2000 Philadelphia debut as I was living there then and was a season subscriber. I didn't know him then but I recalled being very impressed by his singing. I also saw him perform at the Met in October 2002.
Okay, back to the opera. <i>Matilde di Shabran</i> has only been shown in London ONCE before, in <b>1854</b>. It's safe to say the only reason why it's now shown again 150+ years later is because of JDF. After the 1996 production in Pesaro, it was re-staged in 2004, this time with JDF as the *star*. This ROH production is the same as the 2004 Pesaro one.
It is performed so rarely due to multiple reasons. One, it simply isn't that good of an opera. It is a "hodge podge" opera written by Rossini, which means that basically he recycled old music and threw in new music all in a hurry due to deadlines of his commissions. The opera is both serious and comic, but they don't go very well together. Two, Act I is 2 hours long. Yes, 2 hours without any break, which really pushes the limit of the modern audience. Three, the opera demands a highly skilled soprano, who sings nonstop for the last 15 minutes of the opera.
So, what did I think of the opera? JDF's voice was a bit thin at the beginning, but got better quickly. There was enough action and commotion to keep me engaged for the full 2-hour Act I.
The soprano did a fine job, as her role is extremely demanding. I was surprised at the end of the opera, it was just solo soprano for the last 15 minutes without any duet or ensemble. All JDF could do was stand on the side and smile.
The set design was a thumbs down. All there was were 2 rusty iron spiral staircase. They rotate at times and are extremely noisy.
I spent an additional £8 there: £6 for the programme and £2 for ice cream during intermission.
After the opera ended, I made my way to the Stage Door on Floral Street to wait for him for an autograph. I was surprised how civilized it is there. A female staff guards the glass door entrance, but she allows the first 15 people to wait inside (which i was one of them). We waited for almost 30 minutes before the cast came out. They all graciously signed autographs and I also got 2 photos of JDF.
I'm a happy camper.
This morning, I "treated" myself to breakfast at the hotel. The reason I use "" is because I didn't have to pay for it.
6 months ago, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Regents Park. There was a minor issue w/my stay so I wrote a complaint email to HI. As a compensation, they sent me 3 US$10 vouchers. Because my hotel stay this time was prepaid through Priceline, the only way to use the vouchers is to have breakfast.
I cannot imagine anyone eating there if they have to pay out of their own pocket. The choices are the £14.95 continental buffet breakfast, or the £16.95 full English buffet breakfast.
The continental buffet offers bread, croissants, cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, fruit, tomatoes/cucumbers. There're also various juices, coffee/tea. I just cannot believe they charge so much for this.
The English breakfast includes everything on the continental section, plus hot food.
The resto was quite busy that morning. I hope everyone is either on business accounts or has a hotel package that includes breakfast.
I ate a lot, as this would serve as both breakfast and lunch for me today.
I walked to South Kensington station and took a bus to Lambeth North to visit the Imperial War Museum. I was in a sightseeing mood and hence chose the bus. It was a great sightseeing route as it passed through many parts of town I have never set foot on.
It went from S Ken to Sloane Sq, then towards the river (where I had a good view of the Battersea power station), through Pimlico, across Vauxhall Bridge and Vauxhall station (huge new apt complex there, and the bus also passed by <b>Brunswick House</b> at 30 Wandsworth Road http://tinyurl.com/5okous), then up Albert Embankment, Black Prince Rd, and finally to the IWM.
But before I went in IWM, I walked up to Westminster Bridge Road to look at No. 121. The building was the office for the <b>Necropolis Railway</b> which connected between London and Brookwood Cemetery. Built during the Victorian era, the railroad was used for funeral trains only (for coffins and mourners). Its service ceased at WWII when it was bombed during the Blitz, but the building still stands.
http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/20/clarke.php
My previous (and only) visit to the <b>Imperial War Museum</b> (free) was last year. That time, I only visited the Holocaust exhibit and ran through the Trench/Blitz experience.
The main reason behind my revisit this time, (I'm a bit embarrased to admit
) is that husband and I have become completely engrossed by the ITV series <i>Foyle's War</i>. We have watched the complete series on PBS as well as on DVD and we just couldn't get enough of it. http://www.itv.com/Drama/classiccrim...r/default.html
For those of you who aren't familiar with this show, I highly recommend you to rent it. It is a mystery series set during WWII. While the plots involve murder and such, the series depict the lives of the British people on the home front as the war waged on. Actor Michael Kitchen stars at Detective Foyle and his acting is impeccable.
Anyway, back to my trip, I entered the IWM through the front door (which I didn't do last time), and was just in awe the sheer size of the two British 15-inch naval guns placed at the entrance.
The WWII exhibit is located in the Lower Ground floor. My experience there was
Not because of the exhibits or the displays, but because of the ridiculous number of school children there. The exhibit hall is divided thematically into many small galleries. Each gallery has 2-3 display cases (jam-packed with artifacts, letters, booklets), and measures no more than 10'x10'. Imagine entering a gallery and it is full of school children. Not only I had a hard time reading any of the displays as the kids were blocking it, the decibel level was through the roof. I mean, I'm all for educating the young about the past, but this is absolutely the WORST experience I have ever had in a museum.
Anyhow, I managed to survive this and even learned something new. I didn't realize apart from food rations, there was also clothing rations and each person was given a set # of coupons each year which they could use to buy new clothes. And there were plenty of booklets on display teaching the public how to maximize the life of the clothes, and also strict rules on who/how the coupons could be used.
AS for food rationing, eg, in 1943 each adult could get <u>per week</u>
1 lb meat; 4 oz bacon and ham; 3oz cheese; 1 egg; 2oz cooking fat; 2oz butter; 8oz sugar; 2oz tea.
Come to think of it, there are places in the US that serve 20oz cheeseburgers and people actually eat all of it ONE MEAL!
I went through the Blitz experience again, then off to the <u>Childrens War</u> section. Again, there were plenty of school children but at least this section is more roomy. At the end of Childrens War is the <u>1940 House</u>.
Currently, there is an Ian Fleming/For Your Eyes Only exhibit going on (£8) but I didn't have time for it.
I wish the IWM can come up with some policy for school visits. Perhaps it can be closed one day to the public and use that day for school children visits?
http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.00b
My next stop was Trafalgar Sq, and again I took a bus there. This time, the bus went on Lambeth Road and onto Lambeth Bridge, where I had a great view of the tudor-era <b>Lambeth Palace</b>. (It's not open to public, is it? What's inside now?) Then I finally saw the medieval <b>Jewel Tower</b>, which is on my list to visit next time.
I got off at Trafalgar Sq and arrived at <b>St Martin-in-the-Fields</b> for its 1pm lunchtime concert (free). It offers lunchtime concerts 3x/week on Mon, Tues and Fri.
http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.o...lunchtime.html
The concert today is an organ recital performed by Robert Smith. He played pieces by Clerambault, Hakim, Bales, Bridge, and Widor. These aren't as "new age" as the ones I heard the day before at Westminster Abbey. The concert lasted for 45minutes.
My next stop is the <b>National Portrait Gallery</b> (free) across the street. I also have been there before, but after the last few days of sightseeing, I wanted to re-visit the Tudor Galleries. I spent about 1 hour at the NPG.
http://www.npg.org.uk
I walked to the Royal Opera House to pick up my ticket for tonight (starts at 6:30pm), then over to M&S on Long Acre to buy some teabags and cookies for DH. Then I headed back to the hotel for a nap.
I left the hotel around 4:40pm and took the tube back to Covent Garden for an early dinner before the opera at 6:30pm. Where else would be a better place to eat than <b>Belgo Centraal</b>???
Thanks to Fodorite noe847, I learned that Belgo Centraal offers a <u>Beat the Clock</u> menu M-F between 5-6:30pm. The menu includes a choice of entree plus a drink (beer, wine, or soda/juice), and the price of it is based on the time you order. So if you order at 5:30pm, your bill will be £5.30.
I think I arrived at the restaurant around 5:10pm, but by the time I was seated and given a menu and had my order taken, it was close to 5:30pm. The place was about 1/2 full and seemed like 99.9% of the poeple there ordered from the Beat the Clock menu. The food is served very quickly - since it is a limited menu, I suppose the chefs have already prepared the food way in advance. I chose the <i>Moules Mariniere</i> with fries and a soda.
Although mussels should be in season right now, mine weren't particularly plump. It wasn't that big of a dish, though the excellent fries made up for it. I actually got so full that I didn't have room for their famous bread and butter pudding. I had an espresso instead.
My bill came out to £7.70 (what a great deal!) - they actually charged my menu @ £5.10 which correlated with the time I arrived rather than the time I ordered (to my benefit). A 12.5% service charge was automatically added.
Finally, here is the event I have been waiting for all month long: seeing Juan Diego Florez (JDF for short for the rest of this post) live in <i>Matilde di Shabran</i> at the <b>Royal Opera House</b>!
** Oh, if you are not into opera, you can go ahead and skip the rest of this post. **
Before I talk about the opera, let me first say a few words about <u>getting the ticket</u>. When I saw the AA fare sale a month ago, my immediate reflex was to check ROH's website to see what opera performances would be on in Oct/Nov. My heart literally stopped when I realized it would coincide with JDF's performances. Of course, all 6 performances had been sold out months in advance. However, with a lot of patience, I fianlly managed to buy a seat after 5 days of clicking on ROH's website 10x/day. It must be return tickets, and I had a wide range of prices to choose from: anywhere from £7 to £165. I chose a £65 seat in the side Stall Circle.
(If I weren't able to buy a ticket, my plan B was to wait at the ROH box office on the day of performance. They sell 65 day tickets every morning at 10am. Per the ticket office staff, people lined up for this performance at 7:30am.)
I have always thought £65 is a lot of money, until last night when I was reading some posts over on the US board. Tickets for Wicked! on Broadway go for $120! I think I got a good deal for the ROH in comparison!
For those of you not familiar with JDF, he's Peruvian and is only 35, but already regarded as one of the best <i>bel canto</i> tenor of these days. His path to fame took place in 1996 at the Rossini festival in Pesaro, when he was asked to replace the intended tenor who got sick, just one week before the performance. JDF learned the part and stunned the world with his singing, while he was only 23 at that time. And what opera did he sing at that time? <i>Matilde di Shabran</i>.
From then on, it was engagement after engagement at the top opera houses in Europe. His ROH debut was in 1997, but he didn't make his US debut until 2000. Where did this take place? As Lindoro in <i>L'Italiana in Algeri</i> at the Opera Company of Philadelphia. This may seem to be an odd choice for a US debut, and my own personal explanation is that JDF studied at Curtis Institute of Music and probably preferred a US debut in a familiar city. His Metropolitan debut took place in 2002. BTW, I was present at the Nov 2000 Philadelphia debut as I was living there then and was a season subscriber. I didn't know him then but I recalled being very impressed by his singing. I also saw him perform at the Met in October 2002.
Okay, back to the opera. <i>Matilde di Shabran</i> has only been shown in London ONCE before, in <b>1854</b>. It's safe to say the only reason why it's now shown again 150+ years later is because of JDF. After the 1996 production in Pesaro, it was re-staged in 2004, this time with JDF as the *star*. This ROH production is the same as the 2004 Pesaro one.
It is performed so rarely due to multiple reasons. One, it simply isn't that good of an opera. It is a "hodge podge" opera written by Rossini, which means that basically he recycled old music and threw in new music all in a hurry due to deadlines of his commissions. The opera is both serious and comic, but they don't go very well together. Two, Act I is 2 hours long. Yes, 2 hours without any break, which really pushes the limit of the modern audience. Three, the opera demands a highly skilled soprano, who sings nonstop for the last 15 minutes of the opera.
So, what did I think of the opera? JDF's voice was a bit thin at the beginning, but got better quickly. There was enough action and commotion to keep me engaged for the full 2-hour Act I.
The soprano did a fine job, as her role is extremely demanding. I was surprised at the end of the opera, it was just solo soprano for the last 15 minutes without any duet or ensemble. All JDF could do was stand on the side and smile.
The set design was a thumbs down. All there was were 2 rusty iron spiral staircase. They rotate at times and are extremely noisy.
I spent an additional £8 there: £6 for the programme and £2 for ice cream during intermission.
After the opera ended, I made my way to the Stage Door on Floral Street to wait for him for an autograph. I was surprised how civilized it is there. A female staff guards the glass door entrance, but she allows the first 15 people to wait inside (which i was one of them). We waited for almost 30 minutes before the cast came out. They all graciously signed autographs and I also got 2 photos of JDF.
I'm a happy camper.
Nov 9th, 2008, 10:08 AM
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Wonderful to hear about your opera experiences--when I lived in the UK I went to the ENO fairly often but have not been since the coliseum was refurbed.
Never made it to Covent Garden--tried once for seats and they wanted 75 quid for a seat with a partial view. One day....
I, too, am a major fan of Foyle's War. I read that they might make another episode about post-war readjustment.
Have you seen the film "Hope and Glory"? It's a nostalgic look back at life on the home front during WWII from the point of view of a young boy, based on the director's (John Boorman's) own experiences. There certainly was clothes and shoe rationing--a couple of scenes cover this. Also shoe rationing in the US, not sure about clothes.
I've really enjoyed your trip report and am put to shame by your stamina!
Never made it to Covent Garden--tried once for seats and they wanted 75 quid for a seat with a partial view. One day....
I, too, am a major fan of Foyle's War. I read that they might make another episode about post-war readjustment.
Have you seen the film "Hope and Glory"? It's a nostalgic look back at life on the home front during WWII from the point of view of a young boy, based on the director's (John Boorman's) own experiences. There certainly was clothes and shoe rationing--a couple of scenes cover this. Also shoe rationing in the US, not sure about clothes.
I've really enjoyed your trip report and am put to shame by your stamina!
Nov 9th, 2008, 12:09 PM
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yk asks, "I had a great view of the tudor-era Lambeth Palace. (It's not open to public, is it? What's inside now?)"
Lambeth Palace serves the same purpose now that it has for the past seven centuries -- it is the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It also contains the offices and staff relevant to his role as the head of the world-wide Anglican community.
It is occasionally open for guided tours, as are its gardens.
Re Foyles War, you should plan a visit to Hastings, where the program is situated. Hastings is a bit of a town that time forget, and you could see why it would not be hard to film 1940s era programs there, through judicious use of close shots.
Lambeth Palace serves the same purpose now that it has for the past seven centuries -- it is the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It also contains the offices and staff relevant to his role as the head of the world-wide Anglican community.
It is occasionally open for guided tours, as are its gardens.
Re Foyles War, you should plan a visit to Hastings, where the program is situated. Hastings is a bit of a town that time forget, and you could see why it would not be hard to film 1940s era programs there, through judicious use of close shots.
Nov 9th, 2008, 12:55 PM
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lennyba- Well, I bet it's gonna be a fabulous birthday trip for you!
Cathinjoetown - I went to ENO a few times back in the early 1990s. I can't tell what the refurb/renovation they had done, as I don't remember what it looked like inside then. But I recognize the new refreshments area upstairs.
ron - Thanks for the info. Yes, i did read about it being the "home" of the Archibishop of Canterbury, but I didn't realize it still is. I think the Museum of Garden History is right next door.
Re: Hastings - I watched the DVD extras on Foyle's War which goes into how they prepare the town for filming (such as painting over lanes on the roads, strategically placing vehicles or using certain angles to avoid satellite dishes etc. However, I recall a thread not too long ago when someone mentioned he/she wanted to go visit Hastings, and all the responses were rather negative.
Cathinjoetown - I went to ENO a few times back in the early 1990s. I can't tell what the refurb/renovation they had done, as I don't remember what it looked like inside then. But I recognize the new refreshments area upstairs.
ron - Thanks for the info. Yes, i did read about it being the "home" of the Archibishop of Canterbury, but I didn't realize it still is. I think the Museum of Garden History is right next door.
Re: Hastings - I watched the DVD extras on Foyle's War which goes into how they prepare the town for filming (such as painting over lanes on the roads, strategically placing vehicles or using certain angles to avoid satellite dishes etc. However, I recall a thread not too long ago when someone mentioned he/she wanted to go visit Hastings, and all the responses were rather negative.
Nov 9th, 2008, 05:39 PM
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What a great trip report! Your enthusiasm is infectious and your stamina is inspiring. You have given me many tips I will certainly use on our next visit to London, especially the budget restaurants.
Nov 10th, 2008, 06:11 AM
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Anna - There are 5 series of Foyle's War on DVD, altho I think it ran for 6 seasons in the UK? The final season was shown on PBS this past summer. DH & I saw the last 2 seasons on PBS, but we borrowed the earlier series from our local library. You can also get them from Netflix I believe, or you can purchase the DVDs from Acorn Media.
Series 1-4 have 4 episodes each, and series 5 has 3 episodes.
And yes, I was reminiscing my rendezvous with the Hollywood star I met last year at Belgo Centraal. Didn't see anyone famous there on this trip, though I recognized the waiter who served us last year.
Series 1-4 have 4 episodes each, and series 5 has 3 episodes.
And yes, I was reminiscing my rendezvous with the Hollywood star I met last year at Belgo Centraal.
Didn't see anyone famous there on this trip, though I recognized the waiter who served us last year.
Nov 10th, 2008, 07:07 AM
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Oh, I didn't realize they had finished with "Foyle's War". I will put that on my library list.
Your comments about the Imperial War Museum remind me of my first visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Halfway through my tour, a large group of teenagers came through, talking and laughing, and seemingly oblivious to the fact that *this is where she lived*. I went to Amsterdam for the express purpose of seeing the House, so their presence rather marred my visit.
What did the Brits say about our election? I just caught Prime Minister's Questions last night on C-Span (from the previous Wednesday) and the MP's seemed pretty happy about the results.
Your comments about the Imperial War Museum remind me of my first visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Halfway through my tour, a large group of teenagers came through, talking and laughing, and seemingly oblivious to the fact that *this is where she lived*. I went to Amsterdam for the express purpose of seeing the House, so their presence rather marred my visit.
What did the Brits say about our election? I just caught Prime Minister's Questions last night on C-Span (from the previous Wednesday) and the MP's seemed pretty happy about the results.
Nov 10th, 2008, 07:26 AM
#51
Hi merseyheart
the good news is that after ITV axed Folye's War, [goodness knows why, it was very popular, and so well acted and written] the TV exec who was in charge of this decision him/herself got the ax, and they may be bringing it back.
the bad news is, that by the time they'd realised they'd made a mistake, the actors were committed elsewhere. so we may have a bit of a wait.
regarding what we Brits thought of your elections, many of us fought somewhat shy of expressing a view for fear of being attacked on the basis it's not our business, but those of us who braved your wrath were largely pro-Obama.
so far, he's not done or said anything to alter that view.
you must be quite an anglophile to sit through PM's Qs. not many Brits do, though I often do find myself listening to "Today in Parliament" on Radio 4 as I'm getting ready to go to sleep.
it usually workds quite well.
regards, ann
the good news is that after ITV axed Folye's War, [goodness knows why, it was very popular, and so well acted and written] the TV exec who was in charge of this decision him/herself got the ax, and they may be bringing it back.
the bad news is, that by the time they'd realised they'd made a mistake, the actors were committed elsewhere. so we may have a bit of a wait.
regarding what we Brits thought of your elections, many of us fought somewhat shy of expressing a view for fear of being attacked on the basis it's not our business, but those of us who braved your wrath were largely pro-Obama.
so far, he's not done or said anything to alter that view.
you must be quite an anglophile to sit through PM's Qs. not many Brits do, though I often do find myself listening to "Today in Parliament" on Radio 4 as I'm getting ready to go to sleep.
it usually workds quite well.
regards, ann
Nov 10th, 2008, 07:30 AM
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<b>Day 6 (Final Day) - Inns of Court and wonderful fish & chips</b>
Hard to believe today is my last day in London. As I said at the beginning of my trip report, I was starting to settle in - looking RIGHT when I stepped off the curb, plus my spoken English started to become half British and half American (this happens every time I'm in London because I was brought up with Queen's English).
I finished packing everything in my 19" carryon and checked out. There is a luggage room at the hotel so I left my stuff there to pick up later in the day. My flight out of LHR is at 5:55pm.
My first stop was the NEW <b>Saatchi Gallery</b> (free), which opened October 9th this year. Instead of its prior location at County Hall on the South Bank, the new address is the Duke of York HQ in Chelsea. Its website is a bit deceptive in describing the location ("Sloane Square"
and I was only able to find it after asking a newspaper vendor. It is about 200 meters down King's Road.
I really like what they did to the HQ building. The galleries are spacious with good lighting. The flow from gallery to gallery is well-done.
The current exhibit is <u>New Art from China</u>. When I was in San Francisco in Sept 08, I saw a Contemporary Chinese Art exhibit at the SF MOMA and was totally intrigued by it. This one at the Saatchi Gallery doesn't disappoint. I especially like the creativity of some of these artists, "How on earth did they think of THAT?" was constantly what went through my head. Some examples were:
Crumbling small-scale iconic buildings from over the world, made with dog chew (rawhide)
Various Mao permutations
And the basement gallery installation has a number of life-sized old person models (look like certain world leaders) in electric wheelchairs running into one another. You can see the description and video clip here:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3npvlu
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/
After an hour at the Saatchi Gallery, I took the tube to Temple station to visit the Inns of Court. I entered the <b>Inner Temple & Middle Temple</b> via Victoria Embankment.
http://www.innertemple.org.uk/
http://www.middletemple.org.uk/
I wandered around through various passageways and courtyards, saw the <u>Middle Temple Hall</u> from the outside (not open to public). Finally I arrived at <u>Temple Church</u> but it would not open until 1pm later in the day.
From there, I found the archway to exit onto Fleet Street. Above the archway is <b>Prince Henry's Room</b> which unfortunately is closed for an indeterminate time. But just looking at its facade from across the street is amazing - preserved half-timbered facade smacked in the middle of stone buildings next to it. You can read more about Prince Henry's Room here:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6b4gdy
(Towards the West on Fleet Street/Strand is the Royal Courts of Justice but I didn't go there.)
I headed east to Gough Sq to check out <b>Dr. Johnson's House</b> (didn't go in due to lack of time), then round the corner to Wine Office Court to <b>Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese</b>, which was rebuilt on the same location after the 1666 fire and has been serving to the public since then. I only did a photo-op but didn't enter.
I returned back towards the West on Fleet Street, passing by Church of St Dunstan-in-the-West (which I later found out is next to the "supposed location" of <u>Sweeney Todd's</u> barber shop), northward through Lincoln's Inn, and onward to Theobald's Road.
It was lunchtime and I was in search of <b>Fryer's Delight</b>, a fish & chips shop that has been recommended here. It is a no-frills place, has 4 booths for eat-in. I ordered cod w/chips, and it was one huge dish. I managed to finish all the fish and most of the chips (both were excellent) but I think it can possibly feed 2 people. IMO, this is better than North Sea in Bloomsbury. My lunch w/a soda was £8. Take-out price is lower, I think £4.50 for the fish (I forgot how much for the chips), where as mine was £7 + £1 for soda.
BTW, Fryer's Delight is known for using beef drippings in the cooking oil, and the owners make their own batter. You can read more about this place here:
http://www.timeout.com/london/restau...iews/9396.html
At this point, I was running out of time. I could either go to an organ recital at the Lincoln's Inn Chapel, or visit the Hunterian Museum. I decided the former, given that I can visit the museum anytime on future visits.
Before I made my way to Lincoln's Inn, I walked through <b>Gray's Inn</b> (not much to see there except a plaque on the wall stating that Sun Yat-Sen stayed in one of the buildings during his exile).
I also checked out the Tudor-era timbered facade of <b>Staple Inn</b>, another one that survived the 1666 fire.
<b>Lincoln's Inn</b> is quite beautiful. The buildings look older than they really are (built in mid-1800s I believe). The Chapel is somewhat older. The 1pm lunchtime concert today (free) is an organ recital by the organist and choirmaster of Lincoln's Inn. In fact, it is the LAST organ recital on the current organ, as the chapel will be getting a new one for 2009.
The organist is Nicholas Shaw and he played some traditional pieces by JS Bach, de Grigny, Mendelssohn, Vierne, and Franck.
The Chapel will be closed between Jan - Oct 2009, but they will continue to hold lunch time concerts at a different venue.
http://www.lincolnsinn.org.uk/cha_sho.asp
My final stop for today (and my trip) is <b>Temple Church</b>. It probably doesn't need any introduction due to the Da Vinci Code mania. I was stunned by how crowded it was inside, and with lots of school children! The effigies of the Knights Templar are spectacular.
http://www.templechurch.com
The Inner Temple Garden is open as I was leaving (very limited opening hours), but it was such a grey and dreary day, I didn't feel like going in.
Overall, I had a really great time in this part (City) of London, which I barely spent anytime there in the past. I'd probably be interested in taking a walking tour next time. (There is a Tuesday walk called "Secret London" by London Walks but I didn't take it because of my time restraints.)
I particularly enjoyed wandering through the streets and looking at the building facades, though the locals were probably cursing me due to my slow pace. It is fascinating to see how different the facades are from one building to the next - from different decades, centuries, and of course very different architecture style (and material too). This is something I just don't get to see here in the US.
My trip back to the hotel and then to LHR via tube was uneventful. I arrived LHR at 3:45pm for my 5:55pm flight. Check-in was fast (no one in line) and security line was relatively short.
For the first time in YEARS, I actually bought stuff from duty free, because between the tax-free discount and the exchange rate, goods are actually cheaper there than back home in the US.
My flight LHR-BOS on AA was only 20% full. I requested to have my (exit row) seat changed to the back so that I get all 3 seats to myself.
Hard to believe today is my last day in London. As I said at the beginning of my trip report, I was starting to settle in - looking RIGHT when I stepped off the curb, plus my spoken English started to become half British and half American (this happens every time I'm in London because I was brought up with Queen's English).
I finished packing everything in my 19" carryon and checked out. There is a luggage room at the hotel so I left my stuff there to pick up later in the day. My flight out of LHR is at 5:55pm.
My first stop was the NEW <b>Saatchi Gallery</b> (free), which opened October 9th this year. Instead of its prior location at County Hall on the South Bank, the new address is the Duke of York HQ in Chelsea. Its website is a bit deceptive in describing the location ("Sloane Square"
and I was only able to find it after asking a newspaper vendor. It is about 200 meters down King's Road.I really like what they did to the HQ building. The galleries are spacious with good lighting. The flow from gallery to gallery is well-done.
The current exhibit is <u>New Art from China</u>. When I was in San Francisco in Sept 08, I saw a Contemporary Chinese Art exhibit at the SF MOMA and was totally intrigued by it. This one at the Saatchi Gallery doesn't disappoint. I especially like the creativity of some of these artists, "How on earth did they think of THAT?" was constantly what went through my head. Some examples were:
Crumbling small-scale iconic buildings from over the world, made with dog chew (rawhide)
Various Mao permutations
And the basement gallery installation has a number of life-sized old person models (look like certain world leaders) in electric wheelchairs running into one another. You can see the description and video clip here:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3npvlu
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/
After an hour at the Saatchi Gallery, I took the tube to Temple station to visit the Inns of Court. I entered the <b>Inner Temple & Middle Temple</b> via Victoria Embankment.
http://www.innertemple.org.uk/
http://www.middletemple.org.uk/
I wandered around through various passageways and courtyards, saw the <u>Middle Temple Hall</u> from the outside (not open to public). Finally I arrived at <u>Temple Church</u> but it would not open until 1pm later in the day.
From there, I found the archway to exit onto Fleet Street. Above the archway is <b>Prince Henry's Room</b> which unfortunately is closed for an indeterminate time. But just looking at its facade from across the street is amazing - preserved half-timbered facade smacked in the middle of stone buildings next to it. You can read more about Prince Henry's Room here:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6b4gdy
(Towards the West on Fleet Street/Strand is the Royal Courts of Justice but I didn't go there.)
I headed east to Gough Sq to check out <b>Dr. Johnson's House</b> (didn't go in due to lack of time), then round the corner to Wine Office Court to <b>Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese</b>, which was rebuilt on the same location after the 1666 fire and has been serving to the public since then. I only did a photo-op but didn't enter.
I returned back towards the West on Fleet Street, passing by Church of St Dunstan-in-the-West (which I later found out is next to the "supposed location" of <u>Sweeney Todd's</u> barber shop), northward through Lincoln's Inn, and onward to Theobald's Road.
It was lunchtime and I was in search of <b>Fryer's Delight</b>, a fish & chips shop that has been recommended here. It is a no-frills place, has 4 booths for eat-in. I ordered cod w/chips, and it was one huge dish. I managed to finish all the fish and most of the chips (both were excellent) but I think it can possibly feed 2 people. IMO, this is better than North Sea in Bloomsbury. My lunch w/a soda was £8. Take-out price is lower, I think £4.50 for the fish (I forgot how much for the chips), where as mine was £7 + £1 for soda.
BTW, Fryer's Delight is known for using beef drippings in the cooking oil, and the owners make their own batter. You can read more about this place here:
http://www.timeout.com/london/restau...iews/9396.html
At this point, I was running out of time. I could either go to an organ recital at the Lincoln's Inn Chapel, or visit the Hunterian Museum. I decided the former, given that I can visit the museum anytime on future visits.
Before I made my way to Lincoln's Inn, I walked through <b>Gray's Inn</b> (not much to see there except a plaque on the wall stating that Sun Yat-Sen stayed in one of the buildings during his exile).
I also checked out the Tudor-era timbered facade of <b>Staple Inn</b>, another one that survived the 1666 fire.
<b>Lincoln's Inn</b> is quite beautiful. The buildings look older than they really are (built in mid-1800s I believe). The Chapel is somewhat older. The 1pm lunchtime concert today (free) is an organ recital by the organist and choirmaster of Lincoln's Inn. In fact, it is the LAST organ recital on the current organ, as the chapel will be getting a new one for 2009.
The organist is Nicholas Shaw and he played some traditional pieces by JS Bach, de Grigny, Mendelssohn, Vierne, and Franck.
The Chapel will be closed between Jan - Oct 2009, but they will continue to hold lunch time concerts at a different venue.
http://www.lincolnsinn.org.uk/cha_sho.asp
My final stop for today (and my trip) is <b>Temple Church</b>. It probably doesn't need any introduction due to the Da Vinci Code mania. I was stunned by how crowded it was inside, and with lots of school children! The effigies of the Knights Templar are spectacular.
http://www.templechurch.com
The Inner Temple Garden is open as I was leaving (very limited opening hours), but it was such a grey and dreary day, I didn't feel like going in.
Overall, I had a really great time in this part (City) of London, which I barely spent anytime there in the past. I'd probably be interested in taking a walking tour next time. (There is a Tuesday walk called "Secret London" by London Walks but I didn't take it because of my time restraints.)
I particularly enjoyed wandering through the streets and looking at the building facades, though the locals were probably cursing me due to my slow pace. It is fascinating to see how different the facades are from one building to the next - from different decades, centuries, and of course very different architecture style (and material too). This is something I just don't get to see here in the US.
My trip back to the hotel and then to LHR via tube was uneventful. I arrived LHR at 3:45pm for my 5:55pm flight. Check-in was fast (no one in line) and security line was relatively short.
For the first time in YEARS, I actually bought stuff from duty free, because between the tax-free discount and the exchange rate, goods are actually cheaper there than back home in the US.
My flight LHR-BOS on AA was only 20% full. I requested to have my (exit row) seat changed to the back so that I get all 3 seats to myself.
Nov 10th, 2008, 07:46 AM
#53
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Merseyheart - at least the school children at IWM were *trying* to learn. They are young - definitely elementary school - and they had homework assignments to fill out.
I came home on Election Day, but I was fascinated by the Brits' fascination with our election (at least based on the amount of coverage on BBC on TV). However, I talked to quite a number of Brits on my trip and none of the conversations invovled politics.
I came home on Election Day, but I was fascinated by the Brits' fascination with our election (at least based on the amount of coverage on BBC on TV). However, I talked to quite a number of Brits on my trip and none of the conversations invovled politics.
Nov 10th, 2008, 08:42 AM
#54
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Some <b>money-saving tips</b> I learned on this trip:
1) A 1-week Travelcard is probably cheaper than Oyster PAYG if your stay is for 6 days (perhaps even 5 days depending on how much public transportation you use).
2) The 2-for-1 discount is still the best deal for travelers, but for single travelers and others, also check out the following sites:
discountbritain.net (offers 20% off vouchers to various sites in London & UK)
lastminute.com (people may know it for hotel deals, but there are also attraction deals and dinner-and-theatre discounts)
3) Even if your visit is limited to London only, the Great British Heritage Pass may still offer a good deal as it includes all sites operated by English Heritage and National Trust, plus St Paul's Cathedral, the Globe, and Hampton Court Palace
http://www.britishheritagepass.com/F...perties_London
4) There are many restaurant discounts out there on the web. Lastminute.com is one of them. I didn't use it on my trip because I didn't want to be tied down to eat at a certain time at a certain location.
5) For lodging, apartments probably are the way to go if one is staying for close to a week. For shorter trips and/or single travelers, I find Hotwire and Priceline indispensible. There is no way I can afford to visit London this often if it weren't for PL/HW. I have successfully used PL 6 times now for London, never paid more than $120 all-in. I also have stayed once at the Northumberland House (a dorm of the London School of Economics) which has private rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Totally acceptable lodging option if one is not looking for anything luxurious.
6) Take advantage of the many free museums and galleries in London, plus most offer free guided tours.
7) Plenty of free lunchtime concerts throughout the week at churches all over London. You just need to look for them.
8) If you are visiting Oxford from London, buying your ticket through Megabus can save you lots of money. Tickets can be as low as £1, £2, £3 each way, compared to £16 r/t regular price.
1) A 1-week Travelcard is probably cheaper than Oyster PAYG if your stay is for 6 days (perhaps even 5 days depending on how much public transportation you use).
2) The 2-for-1 discount is still the best deal for travelers, but for single travelers and others, also check out the following sites:
discountbritain.net (offers 20% off vouchers to various sites in London & UK)
lastminute.com (people may know it for hotel deals, but there are also attraction deals and dinner-and-theatre discounts)
3) Even if your visit is limited to London only, the Great British Heritage Pass may still offer a good deal as it includes all sites operated by English Heritage and National Trust, plus St Paul's Cathedral, the Globe, and Hampton Court Palace
http://www.britishheritagepass.com/F...perties_London
4) There are many restaurant discounts out there on the web. Lastminute.com is one of them. I didn't use it on my trip because I didn't want to be tied down to eat at a certain time at a certain location.
5) For lodging, apartments probably are the way to go if one is staying for close to a week. For shorter trips and/or single travelers, I find Hotwire and Priceline indispensible. There is no way I can afford to visit London this often if it weren't for PL/HW. I have successfully used PL 6 times now for London, never paid more than $120 all-in. I also have stayed once at the Northumberland House (a dorm of the London School of Economics) which has private rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Totally acceptable lodging option if one is not looking for anything luxurious.
6) Take advantage of the many free museums and galleries in London, plus most offer free guided tours.
7) Plenty of free lunchtime concerts throughout the week at churches all over London. You just need to look for them.
8) If you are visiting Oxford from London, buying your ticket through Megabus can save you lots of money. Tickets can be as low as £1, £2, £3 each way, compared to £16 r/t regular price.
Nov 10th, 2008, 09:12 AM
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ann, since I volunteered on Obama's campaign (my first time ever doing such a task) I am delighted that he won. I *do* watch PM's Questions, but I don't know that I understand it very well. It's just a kick to watch all the verbal acrobatics that the Brits are known for.
I was in England in June, as our primaries were ending, and I did have a couple of conversations about politics. A couple from Toronto, whom I met in London, were following the elections. A man who ran a luggage shop told me he liked Bush. He was a Kurd who was pleased that Bush came to his defense, so I could see his POV. My home page is the BBC page, so I know the British media have covered the U.S. election with great interest.
I was in England in June, as our primaries were ending, and I did have a couple of conversations about politics. A couple from Toronto, whom I met in London, were following the elections. A man who ran a luggage shop told me he liked Bush. He was a Kurd who was pleased that Bush came to his defense, so I could see his POV. My home page is the BBC page, so I know the British media have covered the U.S. election with great interest.
Nov 10th, 2008, 09:22 AM
#56
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<b>Hotel Review
Holiday Inn Kensington Forum</b>
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/lonhi
As I have mentioned above, I got this hotel through a Priceline bid. My accepted bid was $90, which came out to $108/night after fees and taxes were added.
This is what I wrote on Tripadvisor:
-------------------------
ROOM:
A week before my arrival, I emailed the hotel to request a <u>double bed</u> and <u>non-smoking</u> room, as well as gave them my Priority Club #. Both requests were honored and I was given a room on the 26th floor. The room size is actually not bad - in fact, it is larger (at least by 30 sq feet) than the room I stayed at the Holiday Inn Regents Park 6 months ago. The bed is a Queen size bed and mattress is very firm, which I like. But it can be a problem for people who like soft mattresses.
The major downside of my room is it faces Cromwell Road and also an exposed section of the Underground (as it leaves Gloucester Rd tube station). Despite double paned windows and being on the 26th floor, I can still hear noises from traffic and the tube. It didn't keep me awake, but it certainly woke me up in the morning when the tube starts running around 6am.
I have previously stayed at the Millennium Gloucester hotel across the street on Courtfield Rd. That hotel is much quieter when it comes to road/traffic noise.
The room has a small fridge, which is a bit cold, but is in desparate need of defrosting. There is an electric kettle, and hair-dryer. However, <u>no in-room safe</u> which is a bit disappointing.
Bathroom is a bit small but acceptable. Only bath amenities are shampoo, bath gel, and soap. There is no hair conditioner nor body lotion.
LOCATION:
Although the hotel is labeled as being on Cromwell Road, the actual entrance is on Courtfield Road. As you exit the Gloucester Rd tube station, hang a sharp right onto Courtfield Rd. You'll first see the Millennium hotel on your left, and the HI is another block further down.
It's not as central as I would like, but I like the fact that it's on Piccadilly line, which is a direct route from Heathrow (~40mins ride).
Nearby the hotel is a Waitrose supermarket, a Tesco Express. There is also a Paul boulangerie next to Tesco Express.
CHECK-OUT:
Because I had to pay for the breakfast using my vouchers (in US$), this took forever as only 1 person out of 5 at the front desk knows how to do it. Actually, he wasn't sure either so he had to call somebody else to ask. The entire check-out process probably took 15 minutes.
BOTTOM LINE:
It's an okay hotel, and I don't mind staying there again if I get it for a cheap price through Priceline. However, I'd be sure to request a room AWAY from Cromwell Rd due to the noise issue.
-------------------------
Compared to my last 2 stays in London, which includes the HI Regents Park, and the LSE dorm at Northumberland House, I'd rate them as:
1) Northumberland House - because its location is perfect, right at Trafalgar Sq. Super convenient if I want to head back to drop off stuff or take a nap. Unfortunately, it is only available over the summer
2) HI Regents Park - A bit closer to the "center" compared to Kensington, and many more bus lines that go everywhere. Downside is no direct route to Heathrow, and the rooms are small (too small for 2 people, IMO)
3) HI Kensington Forum - Perfect for arriving/departing LHR, but at least 30 minutes to get to Leicester Sq (5 mins from hotel to tube station, 5 minutes wait for tube, another 20-min ride on the tube).
You can see photos of the room I took here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ReviewPho...133-r21609827-
Holiday Inn Kensington Forum</b>
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/lonhi
As I have mentioned above, I got this hotel through a Priceline bid. My accepted bid was $90, which came out to $108/night after fees and taxes were added.
This is what I wrote on Tripadvisor:
-------------------------
ROOM:
A week before my arrival, I emailed the hotel to request a <u>double bed</u> and <u>non-smoking</u> room, as well as gave them my Priority Club #. Both requests were honored and I was given a room on the 26th floor. The room size is actually not bad - in fact, it is larger (at least by 30 sq feet) than the room I stayed at the Holiday Inn Regents Park 6 months ago. The bed is a Queen size bed and mattress is very firm, which I like. But it can be a problem for people who like soft mattresses.
The major downside of my room is it faces Cromwell Road and also an exposed section of the Underground (as it leaves Gloucester Rd tube station). Despite double paned windows and being on the 26th floor, I can still hear noises from traffic and the tube. It didn't keep me awake, but it certainly woke me up in the morning when the tube starts running around 6am.
I have previously stayed at the Millennium Gloucester hotel across the street on Courtfield Rd. That hotel is much quieter when it comes to road/traffic noise.
The room has a small fridge, which is a bit cold, but is in desparate need of defrosting. There is an electric kettle, and hair-dryer. However, <u>no in-room safe</u> which is a bit disappointing.
Bathroom is a bit small but acceptable. Only bath amenities are shampoo, bath gel, and soap. There is no hair conditioner nor body lotion.
LOCATION:
Although the hotel is labeled as being on Cromwell Road, the actual entrance is on Courtfield Road. As you exit the Gloucester Rd tube station, hang a sharp right onto Courtfield Rd. You'll first see the Millennium hotel on your left, and the HI is another block further down.
It's not as central as I would like, but I like the fact that it's on Piccadilly line, which is a direct route from Heathrow (~40mins ride).
Nearby the hotel is a Waitrose supermarket, a Tesco Express. There is also a Paul boulangerie next to Tesco Express.
CHECK-OUT:
Because I had to pay for the breakfast using my vouchers (in US$), this took forever as only 1 person out of 5 at the front desk knows how to do it. Actually, he wasn't sure either so he had to call somebody else to ask. The entire check-out process probably took 15 minutes.
BOTTOM LINE:
It's an okay hotel, and I don't mind staying there again if I get it for a cheap price through Priceline. However, I'd be sure to request a room AWAY from Cromwell Rd due to the noise issue.
-------------------------
Compared to my last 2 stays in London, which includes the HI Regents Park, and the LSE dorm at Northumberland House, I'd rate them as:
1) Northumberland House - because its location is perfect, right at Trafalgar Sq. Super convenient if I want to head back to drop off stuff or take a nap. Unfortunately, it is only available over the summer
2) HI Regents Park - A bit closer to the "center" compared to Kensington, and many more bus lines that go everywhere. Downside is no direct route to Heathrow, and the rooms are small (too small for 2 people, IMO)
3) HI Kensington Forum - Perfect for arriving/departing LHR, but at least 30 minutes to get to Leicester Sq (5 mins from hotel to tube station, 5 minutes wait for tube, another 20-min ride on the tube).
You can see photos of the room I took here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ReviewPho...133-r21609827-
Nov 10th, 2008, 10:03 AM
#57
Love your details . . .
One thing - LSE now offers accommodations year round at at least three of their residence halls, including at Northumberland House.
They call it "Top Floor" and is available at Bankside, Grosvenor House Apartments and Northumberland House
One thing - LSE now offers accommodations year round at at least three of their residence halls, including at Northumberland House.
They call it "Top Floor" and is available at Bankside, Grosvenor House Apartments and Northumberland House
Nov 10th, 2008, 10:18 AM
#58
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<i>One thing - LSE now offers accommodations year round at at least three of their residence halls, including at Northumberland House.
They call it "Top Floor" and is available at Bankside, Grosvenor House Apartments and Northumberland House</i>
http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/Topfloor.htm
That is indeed great news! I believe I checked LSE's website last month and don't think it was available then, but I could be wrong.
All 3 dorm locations are great. The slight disadvantage one is on the South Bank as it's not close to a tube station.
I think that's a great deal for single travelers, but with 2 people, a 4* PL hotel probably is still cheaper (and nicer). At least I know my DH would prefer a 4* hotel over a dorm room.
One thing I might be concerned about the dorm rooms is noise issue - how much noise one can hear from the students on other floors? When I was at Northumberland House, I was in the single rooms wing and it was extremely quiet (probably because not that many rooms were occupied). The House also has a "overnight quiet hours" policy but I don't know if that applies during regular school term or not.
They call it "Top Floor" and is available at Bankside, Grosvenor House Apartments and Northumberland House</i>
http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/Topfloor.htm
That is indeed great news! I believe I checked LSE's website last month and don't think it was available then, but I could be wrong.
All 3 dorm locations are great. The slight disadvantage one is on the South Bank as it's not close to a tube station.
I think that's a great deal for single travelers, but with 2 people, a 4* PL hotel probably is still cheaper (and nicer). At least I know my DH would prefer a 4* hotel over a dorm room.
One thing I might be concerned about the dorm rooms is noise issue - how much noise one can hear from the students on other floors? When I was at Northumberland House, I was in the single rooms wing and it was extremely quiet (probably because not that many rooms were occupied). The House also has a "overnight quiet hours" policy but I don't know if that applies during regular school term or not.
Nov 10th, 2008, 10:33 AM
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amyb - Nope, no Vermeers this time. I have seen all the London Vermeers already. BTW, slightly off-topic, did you hear about the Vermeer show in Tokyo, Japan? It has 6 Vermeers on view, and 3 of the 6 I haven't seen before (Scotland, Brunswick Germany, and the Wynn Vermeer!). Almost makes it worthwhile to fly to Tokyo just for that!
I hope Wynn isn't lending his out for show because he's thinking of selling it. If he sells it to some Japanese collector, chances are it'll be kept in a private collection and won't be shonw in public.
There'll also be an early Vermmer show at Mauritshuis for year 2010 (1 from Scotland, 1 from Dresden).
I hope Wynn isn't lending his out for show because he's thinking of selling it. If he sells it to some Japanese collector, chances are it'll be kept in a private collection and won't be shonw in public.
There'll also be an early Vermmer show at Mauritshuis for year 2010 (1 from Scotland, 1 from Dresden).
