Essential London Resources - Kris

Question of the week: What are some of the essential London resources that you use?

"While resources can mean things like the Transport for London website, and its excellent journey planner (www.tfl.gov.uk), or the Time Out website, where you can find great (and sometimes free!) things to do around the city (www.timeout.com/london), it can also mean the valuables of an area – and that’s really what I’m going to write about!

Most of the major museums in London are free – which means that it’s really easy to visit for half an hour and just wander around. There’s no pressure to ‘get your money’s worth’, so you can take a look around without worrying that it’ll be a waste of money. There are the big, famous places, obviously. And it’s really worth visiting the British Museum on your way between the London Centre and the flats (it’s right on the way!), or taking a look at some of the best modern art in the world at the Tate Modern. (You can find out what’s going on at http://www.britishmuseum.org and http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/)

But there are some great smaller museums that are worth visiting as well! The British Library has exhibitions of some of the most important and beautiful books in the world, and it’s free to wander around the permanent exhibition rooms to take a look. Some of their major exhibitions are free as well (though the excellent Henry VIII exhibition isn’t). Take a look at http://www.bl.uk/ for more information! The British Library is very close to the flats; it’s very near to King’s Cross and St. Pancras train stations.

The Wallace Collection is another free museum that’s worth a trip. It is the private collection of the Wallace family in their huge home – it was all donated to the British Government upon the death of the last heir. Many of the rooms are set up similarly to how they were when people were living in the house, and the interior has just undergone a major restoration. Some of the paintings in the collection are very well known, but my favourite part is the huge collection of historical arms and armour. (I’m a Medievalist by training, you see...) The restaurant in the centre courtyard is beautiful and a great place to have afternoon tea (how very civilized!). Take a look at the website to get a better idea of what the collection is about - http://www.wallacecollection.org/. (The Wallace Collection is near to Marylebone High Street – one of the most stylish streets in London, so take a look at some art and then hang out with the beautiful people!)

The Imperial War Museum, near Waterloo Station south of the Thames, is another great place to go for free! The collection is amazing and the presentation really brings the history home. If you have an interest in things military or historical, this is the place for you. The galleries don’t just focus on weapons, but also on espionage and art from the period around the two World Wars. There are also a number of temporary exhibitions on right now. Check out http://london.iwm.org.uk/ for more!"
- Kris

* Photo by Yuki*, used under Creative Commons.