100 things you must do in London

[edw]

My other half and I are emigrating at the end of the year and were just wondering what peoples suggestions would be for the 100 things we MUST do in London before we leave?

[camioneur]

No.1 leave London

totally biased opinion from Northerner

[edw]

Hence the reason we're emigrating ! Unfortunately can't just get in a plane right now so need to make the most of our remaining time here - there must be something of value about London? 8 million people can't be wrong can they? ;-)

[spudqueen]

All the usual tourist spots: London Eye,Covent Garden, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St Pauls Cathedral, Oxford Street, Carnaby Street, Harrods, London Zoo, Selfridges, Green Park, Hyde Park, Regents Park etc etc etc
Then I would add: a trip to the theatre, sit in at a trial in the Old Bailey, go to a football match (plenty of teams to choose from), Hampstead Heath and the pubs Jack Straws Castle and The Bull and Bush (from the music hall song), go to as many museums and art galleries as you can, visit all the main line stations, go to as many Monopoly board properties as you can, visit the original Scotland Yard..........
In general I would say - think what people will ask you if you've done or been somewhere and you'll be able to yes, if you'll be able to say no and regret it then it should have been on your list! Good luck!

[shammydodger]

Go on a Jack the Ripper walking tour, preferably the one led by Donald Rumbelow.

[Snowy Owl]

Kew Gardens, a trip on the Thames, the Thames Barrier, cricket match at the Oval or Lords. Visit Hampstead Heath, Richmond Hill, Wimbledon common. The Royal Observatory at Greenwich to see the 0 degrees longitude line. Visit one or more of the colourful markets such as Billingsgate and Petticoat Lane. Take in as many of the sights that you would see if you did the London Marathon.

Depending on where your defintion of London ends....go to see how far they`ve got with the new Wembley stadium, try to drive the whole length of the M25 without encountering a traffic jam and Brent Cross or Bluewater shopping centres.

Should keep you busy for a few weekends!

[Hellion]

Oh definitely go on the London Duck Tour. It's just the best fun I went with my 8 year old and we loved it.
http://www.londonducktours.co.uk/

[edw]

Thanks for the replies guys - keep em coming - loved the idea of doing the Monpoly tour, and the idea of driving around the M25 without running into a traffic jam sounds more like a dare than anything else - but actually worth a laugh:-) Does 4 in the morning count? ;-) Also like the duck tours idea - think I'll book that for next weekend as we've some mates down.

[The Big Gill]

4 in the morning....not such a bad idea. Ever made your way home post-clubbing, or seen the film '28 Days Later'? It's actually a pretty cool* time to see the city, free from traffic and crowds. Depending on where you live, you could get a night bus to a start point in central London and set off walking as it starts to get light, or cycle, and finish off with breakfast in a cafe.
Then, you could do some of the things suggested above, or just chill out (lunch at the Ivy? London has some great restaurants) - in the evening you could see a Shakespearean play in Regent's Park, or the Globe.
* literally, given the hot weather right now.

[Snowy Owl]

Out of sheer curiosity, or nosiness (call it what you like), where are you emigrating to? Might give us an idea of the things that you will be missing when you`ve gone.

[edw]

Cheers big gill - hadn't thought about a night time stroll around London- whereever I've been in Paris I've made it a rule to go out and stroll around at night and see the city without the tourists and watch the clubbers heading home and the workers starting to surface - might be fun to do it in London as well.

Snowy we're off to Australia - Gold Coast - so other than the skyscrapers nothing like London at all! Should do some of the museums cos of thier reputation and becuase we're unlikely to be ever in London again unless moving between teminals 3 and 1 at Heathrow.

[Southsider]

Visit the Horniman Museum, the Geffrye Museum, go to a performance oat the Globe and hang out on the Southbank on a sunny afternoon...this is the best city in the world, the possibilities are endless

[Qmark78]

Go find my ex Girlfriend and smack her one

(i live in Scotland)

[John.]

The Blues Bar, Kingly Street - get there for around 9:30pm. The British Museum - take a whole day. Go for a curry in Brick lane. Take a day looking at the buildings - The Palace of Westminster, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London (don't bother going in), Admiralty Arch, St. Pancras station, St. Paul's Cathedral. Check out the free Museum in Kenwood house. Have a drink in the bar garden over looking the Thames behind Somerset house. If you're here in early August go to the Great British Beer Festival at Earl's Court. Check out one of the bars that overlooks Covent Garden. Try the O bar in Old Compton street. Open Air theatre in Regents Park. The Deer Park at Richmond - if you're there at the weekend then maybe watch cricket on the green with a beer from on of the pubs. Kew Gardens. Cross the Beatles zebra crossing at Abbey Rd. Camden market.

[roomby]

a couple of things to add to the already excellent list:

buy a bag of fresh, hot bagels in brick lane
visit Highgate cemetary
fly a kite on Parliament hill(or watch other people doing it)
listen to the speakers at Speakers corner
visit the park in Greenwich around sunset and see the city's lights.
trawl around the second hand bookshops in charing cross road

[CB76]

Parliament Hill on a clear day

[CB76]

or Smithfield meat market at dawn...

[eash]

Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane, Canary Wharf....Erm all the others i thought of have already been said!

[edw]

John I'm afraif I'm one of those who believe Brick Lane is way over rated - but that's cos i've had the absolute pleasure of living near Mirch Masala on Norbury Road - best Indian (actually Pakistani) food ever - anyone ever down this side you've got to try it out - t rocks - they also have branches in Tooting and Southall. The blues bar sounds interesting - shall have to check that one one and as for the beer festival - being boosers both of us it sounds right up our alley :-)

Roomby, funny you mention Speakers corner cos I was thinking perhaps one of the things I should do is actually SPEAK there :-) Now that would be an achievement.

Appreciate all the replies and it's great to see people being proud of London and loving it - this city just ain't me.

Also especially grateful to people for sharing their special places in London.

For me my special place is Beaujolais wine bar just off Charing Cross Road (as if heading towards The Ivy) - but perhaps that's cos it feels as if you're not in London ! Would suggest having a look though.

Cheers again,
Ed

[edw]

Oh yes should also say have been to Regents Park Open Air theratre and rate it very highly - the quality of the performance is variable but just to experience theatre outdoors with a nice picnic in the park before or after is fab