Going to London ... alternative ideas please

[smurfchops]

Sister's birthday (she is 60) so going to London this week for a daytime treat. Done the usual things in the past and know the West End very well, done boat trip from Embankment to Tower of London and St Katharines Dock, and around Greenwich market, done Covent Garden, Leic Square, Soho, Trafalgar etc. etc. We come into Waterloo Station ... where can we go in London that is different?? Even North London, we could get a Tube ... ideas please for the daytime !! We like walking so anything pretty, or thinking of Camden Lock, Little Venice maybe ??

[coccinelle]

Have you been on the London Eye?

[snags]

Try Brixton during the hours of darkness...

[mollykins]

Hampton court palace. get a tube to wimbledon then a short train ride to a station very near to the palace (i'd say it is a couple of hundred metres away from enterance.)

I don't know if they do this every day but when i went they were going through the wedding day of henry viii and catherine parr i think it was (third wife).

[jno]

around the South Bank? National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, Vinopolis wine museum (very interesting but not very cheap), go up Tower Bridge for the view, go over Millennium Bridge to St Paul's, London Dungeon if you like that sort of thing, visit the Globe theatre... (those aren't in any sensible order, but they're all on the south side)

[ethandron]

if you get the tube to little venice and walk along the regents canal, ending up at camden lock, you will not be disappointed :) google up 'free stuff to do in london' or 'walks in london' and you'll find the walk we did earlier in the year. i printed out the walk and it gave precise directions and interesting things to look out for along the way. camden market (the old one in the stables and all the lanes round it) is like being in a foreign country, very diverse and interesting, and loads of places to have something different for lunch. can i come with you?

[ethandron]

go to waterscape.com , click on 'walking' and go to little venice to camden circular walk.

[VHG]

I agree with the South side of the river. Few people visit the South side of the river but it has some interesting things.

The original "clink" prison in there (where we get the name clink from), as is Southwark Cathedral (Shakespeares brother is buried there).

The milenium bridge is right next to Tate modern, plus near the rebuilt Globe theatre.

There is also the London Dungeon
http://www.thedungeons.com/en/london-dungeon/index.html

There is also a National Trust pub, the George Inn, the last galleried inn (they used to stage plays in the courtyard).
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-georgeinn/

If you have seen the Film Shakespeare in Love, much of this is set on the south side of the Thames in Southwark.

North of the river was the City of London and it was a very controlled area, South of the Thames was where people went to get their "sins" (wine, women and song) and many of the original globe type theatres were there.

You can walk Eastwards along the river all the way down to Tower Bridge.

[sherrardk]

I always fancied trying a Duck Tour - www.londonducktours.co.uk/default.asp

[VHG]

If you want something really different how about Sir John Sones Museum (free to get in)

http://www.soane.org/

He was an architect (he designed the bank of England) and he bought this house (and the two next door) and turned it into a museum of architecture.

Even if you are not interested in Architecture this is an AMAZING house. He built windows in the roof to let in shafts of light to lighten up the rooms, and he has a dark basement where he had lots of spooky things (egyptian tombs etc).

He tried to do something different in each room, and there are some lovery features in this house that you can see nowhere else.

Almost every bit of floor and wall is covered in objects, and it is an amazing place to walk round.

It is just behind Fleet St and the Old Bailey.

Here is one picture to show you what it is like

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8q8OJfemibY/RgbxEFzMULI/AAAAAAAAAYA/-SPGLWyOpgg/IMG_0423.JPG

[VHG]

You dont mention British Museum but if you have not been there it is a staggering place.

You can see the original Rossetta Stone and Elgin Marbles.

Plus loads of other stuff we plundered from Egypt, Greece, Rome etc

[smurfchops]

Snags you must be joking. Sir John Sones museum and Little Venice threads are the only things I haven't done !! So thanks all, especially ethandron and VHG for that, any more ideas ?? Got till Thursday - hope it doesn't rain. I live near Hampton Court by the way !!

[VHG]

See if you can get a copy of this book before you go:
London (DK eyewitness travel guide)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1405333588/ref=sib_rdr_dp

You can click "Look Inside" on the website to see inside some of the book.

This is an amazing book with loads of ideas about what to see and do in London. It is also well written with loads of maps, and plans of buildings, and also suggested walks.

I have lent my copy to a few people who have gone to London and they have all found it invaluable.

[VHG]

Two things next to each other well worth a visit (in Piccadily)

Fornum and Mason - where the rich shop. This is an AMAZING shop, well worth a visit. The food hall is staggering, and the other floors are like works of art.
http://www.fortnumandmason.com/default.aspx

Right next to it is St James Church, designed by Christoher Wren (St Pauls). Lovely church and well worth the visit.
http://www.st-james-piccadilly.org/

Of course once you are in Piccadilly there are all sorts of other things to see Royal Academy, Ritz etc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccadilly

[VHG]

Have you considered going out to Greenwich?

Or the Imperial War Museum?

I also did a search on "unusual things to do in London" and found this web site (not sure how up to date it is)

http://www.found-design.com/londonlostandfound/unusual/unusualreviews.htm

[jno]

if you're looking to save money:

http://golondon.about.com/od/thingstodoinlondon/tp/free_London.htm

[VHG]

Or how about the British Library (next to St Pancras Station)?

http://www.bl.uk/

Although it is a library it is also a museum, art gallery and has an amazing collection of books and manuscripts.

You could easily spend a few hours walking round there, and then maybe pop into St Pancras to admire Brunel's handiwork, then into Regents Park to admire John Nash's handiwork.

[jamesnan]

When my daughter decided to go to London for her hen party, we went on the London Eye, had Pimms on the lawn and then went round to the hotel along the river for Champagne afternoon tea - absolutely lovely

[dzug]

You could easily spend a few hours walking round there, and then maybe pop into St Pancras to admire Brunel's handiwork

Good idea - but tweren't Brunel - Scott was the architect of the former hotel and Barlow the station itself

Brunel was long dead when it was built

[smurfchops]

We ended up at Camden Lock, walking along the canal to Little Venice and a bus back thru London and home. A fab, different day and great weather. Thanks all !