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Things to do in London

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The Boptists (GLW & I) are heading London ways on 30th Nov until 4th Dec.
We have booked classical concert @ RFH on 2nd Dec.
Welcome any suggestions particularly musicwise – concerts/gigs.
Also anything different during the daytime.
Oh eats…..yes please – but not to break the bank.
We are staying out Windsor ways but plan to spend time in the city as much as possible.
Have looked around the obvious places but nothing of interest.
All suggestions greatly received.

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Comments

  2. I’m not casting aspersions, but ‘nothing of interest’? In London? Really?

    Obviously I don’t know what your interests are, but off the top of my head…

    Photography – Elton John’s ‘The Radical Eye’ exhibition at Tate Modern
    Theatre/Music – Glenda Jackson in King Lear at the Old Vic; Lazarus at Kings Cross Theatre
    Museums – You Say You Want A Revolution? Counterculture 1966-70 at the V & A
    Art – Turner Prize; Paul Nash exhibitions at Tate Britain
    Tourist/sightseeing – just hop on one of the London Tour buses
    Have afternoon tea at a posh hotel or famous store (there are usually deals or discounts online)
    … and on and on. Your best idea would be to look through Time Out.

    • The Museum of Brands is great. It’s in chronological order, so at first it’s just vaguely interesting looking at packaging from the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries. And then… you come to a glass case that contains your entire childhood and suddenly it’s Christmas and you’re seven years old in your mum’s kitchen. Eventually you look up and ten minutes and forty years have gone by.

      • Yep, I’ll agree with that as well. It’s a brilliant way to spend a couple of hours. I’m also rather looking forward to going to the relocated Design Museum, I think, because of the increased space, it’s going to have all those design classics that have been locked away in the basement of the old place and it’ll have a nostalgia kick as well as the haphazard glimpse of the future we’re used to.

  6. If it’s a nice day then walk from the Festival Hall down to Borough Market (not open Sundays)
    http://boroughmarket.org.uk/
    The river at night is pretty these day with a lot of the bridges being lit. The area in front of the Festival Hall usually has something going on too.
    In the Soho we like the original Ed’s Easy Diner. Very small and staffed by friendly, if a little scary looking, guys who look like they work in, er, a diner. Best shakes and burgers for miles.
    http://www.edseasydiner.com/edslocation-details/Ed-s-Easy-Diner-Soho/

    • Yes yes yes to Dave BigP. Book tickets to go up The Shard – it’s pricey, but the views are well worth it. Borough Market is buzzing; good-value restaurants, Black & Blue nice for steaks, salads and fizzy wine. Walk from there up to the London Eye, there’s loads going on and it doesn’t have to cost you a penny – stalls, buskers, book shops, an icy wind off the river. Walk across the footbridge to Trafalgar Square – it’s great after dark. If you want to spend money, there’s the Tate Modern on the South Bank and the Imperial War Museum just ten minutes from Waterloo Station.

      • Out of town, Richmond is worth a detour [though not too much of a detour for you, as it’s on the Windsor line]. Great shopping, lovely riverside walks and restaurants, walk up the hill to Richmond Park, taking in Turner’s famous view of the bend in the Thames. Nice pubs and good vibe.

      • I love going up tall buildings and looking round so I think the Shard is brilliant, you get your money’s worth if you plan a long visit, we waited for it to get dark on a late summer evening so were there a couple of hours.
        If you don’t have a worthwhile time, but are in the area, why not go to the top of the new bit of the Tate Modern. It’s free and the views are also excellent, certainly more worthwhile than the London Eye.

  8. The Abstract Expessionism exhibition at the Royal Academy is one of the best things I’ve seen this year. It’s popular, so I’d recommend buying 10am tickets and heading straight to the Pollocks and Rothkos so you can have them to yourselves.
    If you like the theatre, One Night In Miami at the Donmar Theatre is funny, timely and moving; a second vote for Glenda Jackson at the Old Vic; Time Out has a cheap ticket offer to see The Dresser; and you could try queueing for day tickets or online for Friday Rush tickets to the National for The Red Barn or Amadeus – I’d recommend both.
    If you want try to try some swanky restaurants but not take out a second mortgage, lots of them do fixed-price lunch menus which can be a real bargain.

    • I enjoyed the Dresser at Richmond, but found it a long evening (they may have trimmed it for the West End) and that Ken Stott has such presence that everyone else was effectively invisible when he is on stage. The Light, whose own father is in declining health, found it very moving.

  9. I always enjoy a long circular walk from the British Museum though Covent Garden, down St Martins, Trafalgar Sq, Whitehall, Westminster, Millbank to Tate Britain to Victoria (or skip Tate and go along Birdcage walk), Buck house, Picadilly, Soho. All free.

    Sturdy shoes, strong legs, and good weather required.

    • There are excellent free guided tours at Tate Britain. We did two back to back when we were last there a few months ago, and even as someone fairly informed on art I learned a lot, though the information was not at all heavy going and did not require any previous knowledge.

  12. If you fancy a view you can go halfway up the Shard for free. There’s a dedicated lift to floor 32 which gives you access to the bars and restaurants; you could probably get away with not buying anything but you could always just have a cup of tea. They will turn you away if you’re scruffy enough, mind.

    On the other side of the river there is the SkyGarden; I haven’t been there yet but it sounds good.

    • We’ve been to the Sky Gaden (free, but booking needed. Bring ID.) if you could time it for sunset along the Thames the views would be even more stunning.

  13. A hidden gem of a garden in Chelsea,The Chelsea Physic Gardens or Apothecaries Garden started in 1673 to train Apothecaries in the use of herbs etc,cracking day out just a spit and a cough away from Cheyne Walk if i remember right,the entrance is on Swan walk off Royal Hospital rd.

  14. Oh, I’m jealous Ger. I’ve just been down for a few days and am dreaming about my next trip already. I’d highly recommend the Sir Elton photography exhibition. It’s wonderful. Spend a bit extra on the audio if you can, the curator is interesting and Sir Elton is too. I’m going to review it here if I get time this week.
    There have been a few recommendations already that I echo, one of which is Sir John Soane’s House/Museum. It’s great. The people who work there are largely volunteers with a very keen interest and a desire to share their wonderful knowledge. I listened intently to an elderly, dashingly handsome gent who was bloody fascinating!
    The Christmas lights at Carnaby Street are beautiful and awfully cool – having been designed by the folk who did the V&A exhibition Hannah mentioned.
    Enjoy!! ❤️

  15. I apologise if the following has been mentioned.

    Exhibtions.. If you like maps, go to the British Library exhibition – Maps in the 20th. century – it’ll cost you 12 quid but well worth it, it’s wonderful. There’s a a Paul Nash exhib at the Tate Britain which I have yet to see but will do. The great and the good speak well of it.

    The City of London – walking around is great, there are some hidden alleyways and go and have a look at Holland House behind the Gherkin. You can’t go in but it’s a wonderful early 20th century building with a lovely tiled entrance. Walk along the South bank from Waterloo to London Bridge, haver a gander in Borough Market but you can get cheaper elsewhere and they serve a good pint in the Market Porter by the market. If you like buildings go and have a look at the Isokon building on the weekend (it’s near Belzise Park tube) and they have a small, but very interesting, permanent gallery open there at the weekend – http://isokongallery.co.uk. You can go down to Primrose Hill, always good for a view over London, there is a great and very friendly small bookshop – Primrose Hill Books – and it’s always entertaining overhearing North London mummies complaining about young Jasper’s school fees whilst gorging on £5 chocolate muffins.

    Drink – Go to Kentish Town for a decent pint. My top pub is The Pineapple, good Thai food and always a very good pint – http://www.timeout.com/london/bars-pubs/pineapple.

    Food – You can get anything you want in London. If you fancy pizza, the Franco Manca chain is good, and if you fancy a blow-out, then go to The Delaunay (it’ll cost you a few bob buy it’s wonderful; schnitzel, cakes, beer – waiters in white jackets, but not at all up itself. I love it) – https://www.thedelaunay.com

    Enjoy your stay, and get yourself an Oyster card for travel.

    • Minor point, you don’t need an Oyster Card anymore. Just use a debit card, tap in at the tube station and tap out, (you don’t need to tap out on the busses) When it reaches £6.50 it’s capped and you pay no more.
      You can download some excellent walks in the City. The GLW and myself did a legal walk from The Old Bailey down the The Royal Courts of Justice, (It’s free to go round there and has a fascinating museum), Lincolns Inn Fields is a quiet oasis.
      Some of the smaller churches are worth visiting. Take a look round St Brides on Fleet Street, St Andrew by the Wardrobe on queen Victoria Street. Unlike the big churches they are peaceful and interesting things. Also a few have cafes attached and you can get a decent bite to eat.
      Also look up, some of the buildings are beautiful.

      • My favourite among the smaller churches is St Olave’s Hart Street , the one which Pepys called ‘our own dear church’ and Dickens called ‘St Ghastly Grim’ because of the skulls, put in place in Pepys’ day, above the gate to the graveyard which lies a good metre above the church entrance because so many plague dead are buried there. For a quick and cheap lunch in the centre the cafe in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields do a good soup and roll.

  17. Another vote for Sir John Soane Museum and for wandering aorund the old city, including the Inns of Court – fascinating, Dickensian part of the City.

    For food, Moro in Exmouth Market is great, and we recently indulged in lunch at Ottolengi’s restaurant Nopi, just off Regent Street, and had a great time.

    I assume you’re going to the Philharmonia concert – great call; terrific programme and Hilary Hahn is a superb violinist. Should be superb.

  18. Many thanks to the contributions of the Massive.
    What a stout font of knowledge and cultural advice.

    Only problem, based on the information provided, I will need to extend my stay.
    We are going tom have fun making out our itinerary.

    Many thanks, again, from both myself and The Lady The Boptist.

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