I got a toothbrush, and I'm going to London.
Klaus Hergescheimer
Posts: 332MI6 Agent
YOU HEAR THAT, DOUG? I'M COMING TO LONDON!
Starting June 28, I will be in London for more than a month, departing August 19. I will be studying abroad at the London School of Economics, taking two summer sessions there. And, quite frankly, I am stoked. I went to London last summer, and I just fell in love with the city, and have been thinking about my triumphant return ever since I left.
Anyhow, for all of our good English blokes and lassies on the board:
Might you have any tips for my time in the city? I feel as if there is so much I haven't seen. Particularly, I'm looking for some good bars, clubs, and other assorted hot spots (with the prospect of meeting beautiful young single English lassies being a not insignificant consideration; a related point is forthcoming). I also really enjoy going to local live music shows, particularly rock and blues, so if there are any of these to which any of you are privy, please let me know. I've done pretty much all of the touristy stuff, and I'll probably do it all again because, quite frankly, it's too cool. Any other advice as far as restaurants, shows, and other fun stuff will be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and if you're thinking of saying the word "Harrods," I will go ahead and precaution you that I do not currently possess the purchasing power to pay $500 (about 250 quid) for a pair of jeans.
However, if there are somewhat less inexpensive areas of the store where I can buy other assorted items, please let me know.
And one more question for the ladies: is it true what they say about English women having a "thing" for American men? I have heard this, and quite frankly, I am, of course, understandably stoked about this possibility. I'm just looking for a confirmation on this.
If I have any other questions, I will let you know. Thank you in advance.
Starting June 28, I will be in London for more than a month, departing August 19. I will be studying abroad at the London School of Economics, taking two summer sessions there. And, quite frankly, I am stoked. I went to London last summer, and I just fell in love with the city, and have been thinking about my triumphant return ever since I left.
Anyhow, for all of our good English blokes and lassies on the board:
Might you have any tips for my time in the city? I feel as if there is so much I haven't seen. Particularly, I'm looking for some good bars, clubs, and other assorted hot spots (with the prospect of meeting beautiful young single English lassies being a not insignificant consideration; a related point is forthcoming). I also really enjoy going to local live music shows, particularly rock and blues, so if there are any of these to which any of you are privy, please let me know. I've done pretty much all of the touristy stuff, and I'll probably do it all again because, quite frankly, it's too cool. Any other advice as far as restaurants, shows, and other fun stuff will be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and if you're thinking of saying the word "Harrods," I will go ahead and precaution you that I do not currently possess the purchasing power to pay $500 (about 250 quid) for a pair of jeans.
However, if there are somewhat less inexpensive areas of the store where I can buy other assorted items, please let me know.And one more question for the ladies: is it true what they say about English women having a "thing" for American men? I have heard this, and quite frankly, I am, of course, understandably stoked about this possibility. I'm just looking for a confirmation on this.
If I have any other questions, I will let you know. Thank you in advance.
Comments
I know the LSE and environs very well.
London will be heaving with pulchritude in Summer although there are lots of tourists esp. Americans so the accent thing may be less effective. The vice is certainly versa in the States
Make a $8 investment in an A-Z (Zed, you can practise English English) Map on this trip. Buy the book, not a fold out map. You will never get lost, save a bundle on taxis, get to feel the city on your feet.
It can be cold and wet, even in July/August, so bring a scarf, a jumper and a woolly hat, just in case! Oh, and Concealable Operations Umbrella.
Preparation
A) Get a Travelcard or Oystercard (unlimited travel tube, rail and bus - variable price depending on where you are staying)
B ) Plan your trip with reference to logistics and sites.
C) Try to plan experiences. E.g. an English dining experience is difficult (some say, thankfully) to find. Go to a good olde pub, not a new McPub, go to a proper fish and chips shop or even, in the East End, a pie and eel place, go to a proper cafes for a full English breakfast: don't just go to any bland restaurant or pub for these experiences. The atmosphere and people watching will be better.
D) Plan your trip beforehand. Get the most from your day.
E) Be weatherproof. If you don't like rain or cold, don't come to London. Don't be beaten by weather.
F) Speak to British people. They are reserved but friendly. Get Over Here by Raymond Seitz http://www.amazon.com/Over-Here-Raymond-Seitz/dp/0753805197/ref=sr_1_1/103-6127323-8327848?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179569721&sr=8-1, the best transatlantic guide to two nations separated by one language. To paraphrase him, London is a lot of time squeezed into a little space. Also get Watching The English by Katie Fox http://www.amazon.com/Watching-English-Kate-Fox/dp/0340752122/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-6127323-8327848?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179569781&sr=1-1, the best guide to the natives.
G) Don't think London is all tally ho and bowler hats. It's a modern metropolis and the finest city in the worldTM.
H) Walk as much as possible. A bunch of good stuff to do is FREE!
I) Don't get a flashy guidebook. You'll spend all your time looking in it rather than looking around you.
J) Enjoy yourself. Remember, in the words of the great Chinese philospher, Charlie Chan: "Mind like parachute: function best when open". And remember, IT's NOT AMERICA! (More than one American friend I know has tried to pay for things in US Dollars here and complained that all the things they have in America are not in Britain!)
Suggestions:
Take a double decker bus tour
Take a river taxi from Westminster to Greenwich - effectively the route of the TWINE PTS, stop at the meridian, maritime museum and market
Do a DLR train trip through Docklands.
Have tea at the Ritz or the Wolsey.
Go to Neal St Yard and hang with the hippie, skate punks
The Monmouth Coffee shop (get the coffee bean shaped chocolates and slurp great coffee in the most intimate booths ever!)
De Hems Dutch pub - try Mort Subite (Sudden Death) - you'll be addicted!
Hoxton and Shoreditch for cool cats and comedy clubs
Go to the Royal Courts of Justice/Old Bailey, Daily Express building,then a brandy and ginger ale in Fleming's haunts, El Vino's round the corner from his office in Mitre Court.
Hatton Garden - because diamonds are forever and also it is the route to THE BEST PUB IN THE WORLD, The Bishop of Ely in Ely Place, off HG. Get some Adnams' Broadside ale in an old-fashioned dimpled pint pot (They also shot the opening of Snatch here). This is a hidden gem so seek it out although it's closed at weekends.
Visit the Tate for Art and MI6 and Fleming's haunts - Ebury St (blue plaque commemorating his residence), Victoria Sq (where he lived latterly), Buckingham Palace etc
Green St where Fleming was born and Cubby lived - for a time next door to the Beatles,
The US embassy - site of Robert Fleming's pad, Grosvenor Sq and St - Morelands has long gone, South Audley St & Mayfair for Eon old and new, Dorchester, Crockfords.
Highgate Cemetary and villagy pubs
The Tate Modern - Wobbly Bridge and College of Arms and St Pauls
Abbey Road - because the Walrus was Paul
The Poetry Library
The Design Museum
The Horniman Museum
The Photographers Gallery
The Freud museum in Finchley
The Imperial War Museum
The Science Museum
The Natural History museum
The V&A museum
The Olde Curiosity shop
The Inns of Court
The London Transport Museum - London has the world's most complex underground architecture.
Walk to Tower of London along Embankment
Butler's Wharf
Jack The Ripper's Whitechapel
Camden Town market - London's Berkley
Portabello Road market (Sat only - great Bratwurst stall)
Tower of London - see the Crown jewels and Tower bridge
Green Lanes in Hackney for the vibe
Harrow School - Harrow on the Hill
Kew Gardens
Borough Market
Brick Lane for bagels, curry and the brewery BBQs
National Gallery and Trafalgar Square
Leicester Square - home of film Bond
Kings Road and 30 Wellington Square - home of book Bond
Harrods
Selfridges
Fortnum & Mason
Sotheby's and Christies - see the silent theatre of an auction and imagine the property of ladies...
The Bank of England - I think it's open to tourists - see a gold bar!
The Globe theatre
Islington for bars and scenery and vibe
Speaker's Corner - Hyde park
Lord's Cricket ground - think complex baseball
Wembley Stadium - officially opening today for the English Soccer Superbowl
Walk Regents Park - no tall grey building.
South Bank - Royal Festival Hall, National Film Theatre, National Theatre - nice walk, cafes and book stalls and the odd free concert
Covent Garden - street entertainment
Marylebone High St and St Christopher's Place - cafes
Jeremyn St for Churchs, Turnbull & Asser, Floris and Davidoff and environs for Blades.
Whitehall for MI6, MOD, No. 10 and Westminster.
London Eye
Little Venice in Maida Vale - go to the art gallery on the barge and then have afternoon tea.
Go to a synagogue, a mosque, a church, a mundr and a gurudwara in 1 day.
Camden Parkway Jazz club
Cafe Boheme - the str8 end of Old Crompton St.
Dover Street Wine Bar, Raffles, Century, Gerry's,. Soho House, Groucho, Quaglino's and many others for extended drinking time.
I have left out restaurants, theatres, casinos, bars, clubs and, er, more questionable establishments - that's up to your taste!
Actually, I could go on forever....
"He who is tired of London is tired of life" - Samuel Johnson
Bondwise, get James Bond's London by Gary Giblin http://www.amazon.com/James-Bonds-London-Gary-Giblin/dp/097131330X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-6127323-8327848?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179569947&sr=1-1 is essential to any serious 007 fan visiting London. Do one of the walks.
Addresses and contact details of film shops in central London
Adrian Harrington Rare Books
http://www.harringtonbooks.co.uk/location.html
The Forbidden Planet
http://www.forbiddenplanet.com/WhereWeAre.shtml
The Cine Art Gallery - Poster Shop
http://www.cineartgallery.com/contact.php
The Cinema Store - THE main film shop in London
http://www.websonic.co.uk/cinemastore/default.asp
The Vintage Magazine Shop - memorabilia and old magazines
http://www.vinmag.com/cgi-bin/ccp51/cp-app...amp;pg=about_us
Murder One - Crime bookshop
http://www.murderone.co.uk/acatalog/Shop1.html
(then kill your credit card!)
(Think that's our word
Jeez Toots, I've only lived in London 22 years and I never knew half of those
You did forget Buckingham Palace which opens its doors between the end of July to the end of September and if you want your picture taken with Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan , then pop to Madam Tussuad's ( don't know if Daniel Craig is in there yet).
As you are travelling during the summer, I would strongly advise that if you do go to any of the major attractions then pre book on line first, unless you want to spend most of your time queueing - though that in itself is a very British thing to do
Other than that, Toots has given you a pretty comprehensive list and if it doesn't involve shopping and children's attractions there really isn't much I can advise on.
As for the Jack The Ripper walks, that is on my list of things to do this summer. They are cheap and 'suppose' to be be very interesting. That and the London Dungeon.
If you're in South Ken, please stop by 2 Cranley Gardens...the ground floor flat was my home for 7 glorious months in 1994. If the windowbox plants look haggard...13 years is a long time without water!
There are many wonderful places I have never been, but among those I have, London is far and away my favorite. Not sure there is a second place.
Three things I have already made plans for, for which I have already made plans:
1) I'm going to the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. As a F1 fan, this is going to be one of the greatest days of my life.
2) An English friend of mine got me tickets to Prime Minister's questions the first week I'll be there. Unfortunately, Blair will be out the door by then, so now only half of the chamber will be ****ed off at the PM.
3) I'm going to the London portion of the Live Earth concert at Wembley. I hate the idea of supporting some of these bolsheviks, but that should be a really fun time with some great music. (Excluding, of course, Madonna, during whose performance I will certainly be in the bathroom.)
May I also suggest the Eden Project? The Cottwolds are another beautiful locale and while the EP is a complete waste of time in terms of visiting the site of a Bond film (DAD, if you've forgotten), it still stands in my mind as one of the most ambitious "green" efforts I've ever seen and fascinating regardless of your position on "tree-hugging."
Either of these are definitely weekend-long excursions.
BTW, regarding English women: I don't think so. In fact, quite the reverse, I think. Though American women certainly have a thing for English guys, from what I've seen. And, um, certain English guys for us Yanks ... but that's another matter altogether.
It certainly is, and one with which I do not plan on concerning myself.
I plan on doing quite a bit of traveling outside of London and on taking quite a few weekend trips. I'm already signed up to go to the British Grand Prix, which I'm really excited about, and I'm going to the Live Earth concert, as well. I plan on going to the continent, as well. I've been to Paris several times, and I might go back again if some mates want to go. I definitely plan to make my way to Italy and Spain, for sure.
I'm really looking right now for some good beaches on the continent, as I can't go the whole summer without some sun and ocean. Can anyone give me any insight on this? I've taken a look at a few (Cannes, Nice, Capri, among others), but while I have liked what I've seen, I haven't found the most outstanding deal yet in terms of an optimal mix of cost and quality. Anyone have any suggestions in terms of destinations or hotels?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6665383.stm
Best beaches ie sandy are in Devon and Cornwall, a way from London.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Devon and Cornwall have some great beaches. Cornwall especially, for surfing.
NP at first I thought you were being very cheeky and directing Klaus to the land of donkeys, tea dances,trams, arcades, big towers 'kiss me quick hats' and stag/hen parties ... Blackpool!! Now that would be an experience! Not a pleasant one mind, but an experience
On a serious level, the South of France has some fabulous beaches , as does Portugal's Algarve. Spain is quite reasonable but be careful were you go if you consider it.
I took the Jack the Ripper walk during my London visit in '01'...I never laughed so hard in my life. As the tour group proceeds through the city, the throng of people gradually grows as local inebriated pub-goers filter out onto the street and join the tour, shouting "I'm Jack the Ripper!" or "Get oota me way! I goota pee!"
EVERYTHING in London is expensive!
It's been several years, but the best value I've found to date was the President off Russell Square. The rooms were clean, decently sized, reasonably-priced, the breakfast fare very good, and the staff very pleasant.
The only downside I recall was the nearest tube stop being of a smaller type and many levels down; the lift was out of service during the whole of my stay and the tight staircase not designed for luggage.
I'm not someone who cares much about hotel amenities; as long as the place is clean, quiet, and secure, it's fine with me. But the rooms in UK hotels--London especially--are TINY; what passes for a double room will likely shock you, so be prepared. (The President, by comparison, was downright spacious.)
{[] Cheers. I was thinking more in terms of renting, for a period of 3-6 months.
Thinking about a change. Just for a bit. Hopefully all those dreadful stories I've heard about our Southern cousins are merely rumours and innuendo.