What to do...again

Question of the week: If you only had two weeks left in London, what would you make sure to visit or see again?

"That’s a tough one, because it all depends on where you’ve already been, and what’s important to you… Personally, I’d be trying to squeeze in as much as possible – dinner in places that do good food *and* have something unique about them, studying at the Bishopsgate Institute or The British Museum, going to one of the lidos or up to Hampstead Heath to swim instead of a regular gym visit. I’d want to prioritize things that are very London specific – gigs and readings and events as well as historic sites and beautiful buildings – and if you can score some more double-value things at the same time, grab them with both hands – head up to Rough Trade East and explore Brick Lane and Spitalsfield Market.

I’d also put a premium on enjoying my regular locals before I had to leave – I’d probably spend my last day in London having lunch and tea at my local cafes, a final pilgrimage to Foyles and the British Museum, walk the familiar route down the river to Tower Hill, and hop on the DLR so I could admire the views on my way to Pudding Mill Lane for a final glimpse of the Olympic Park, and then walk home talking lots of photos of those very ordinary details that you tend not think about! "- Miss Alice

* Photo by J. A. Alcaide, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Outdoor London

Question of the week: Can you recommend a cafe or pub with an outdoor patio or rooftop terrace that you think is worth seeing?

"The Lamb, on Lamb’s Conduit Street, one of the best pubs in London, and even better, my local!"- Prof Kucich

* Photo by Cian O'Donovan, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Sunny Saturday

Question of the week: “How do you like to spend a sunny Saturday in London?”

"Sunny Saturday:

My favourite way to spend a Saturday is to start slow, and head to the Real Food Market behind Royal Festival Hall for lunch. After seeing what's happening on the South Bank, I like to enjoy the weather and take a walk - it doesn't matter where. I'll likely take a couple of breaks along the way to sit and enjoy the view, a coffee, or a chapter or two in my book. Maybe I'll head to an area I haven't been to before, maybe I'll go somewhere familiar. Once I get tired, I head home. Nothing exciting, but I enjoy it!"- Kris

* Photo by Tomasz Tom Kulbowski, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

So Much To See...

Question of the week: “What London event are you most looking forward to in the next four months?”

"So many things! The current Saddlers Wells season is packed with dance productions I’m really excited about with a handful of my favourite dancers and companies coming through (20% off when you buy tickets to 2 shows helps), and I need to find time to head over to New Bond Street to catch the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery.

Looking longer-term, I’m very taken with the idea of the Globe to Globe festival, which starts in April – all Shakespeare’s plays over six weeks, each in a different language from a company from different countries. I’m really tempted by the idea of watching a play I know in a language I don’t - Richard III in Mandarin Chinese or The Merchant of Venice in Hebrew, for example. The hip hop Othello is pretty tempting, as well.

[I’m a little conflicted about recommending this one, not least because the ticket price is eye-watering, but if you hadn’t heard, Warner Bros are selling tickets now for tours of the Harry Potter studios, which will open at the end of March]"- Miss Alice

* Photo by kelsey_lovefusionphoto's buddy icon kelsey_lovefusionphoto, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Getaway

Question of the week: London is a big, bustling city full of small, peaceful surprises. Where is your favourite London getaway?

"Camden Passage in Angel is one of my preferred London getaways. Hidden behind noisy and crowded Upper Street, Camden Passage is a tiny, quiet village full of antique stores and vintage shops. You can either stroll through the passages and please your eyes with the shop dispays or sit at one of the delectable cafes where a late brunch is ideal."- Christina

* Photo by Roubicek, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Getaway

Question of the week: London is a big, bustling city full of small, peaceful surprises. Where is your favourite London getaway?

"My favourite type of getaway to a quiet, secluded place in London is to visit churchyards. Two such lovely places of repose very close to the London Centre are the churchyards of St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden (the ‘Actors’ Church’), and St James’s Piccadilly."- Prof Kucich

* Photo by CornholioLU, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Getaway

Question of the week: London is a big, bustling city full of small, peaceful surprises. Where is your favourite London getaway?

"It’s not exactly small, but my favourite moving meditation in London is to walk the Thames path – even on busy days and even in the centre of the city, it’s not uncommon for me to have a good stretch of path – or beach – to myself, and walking by the water is my great escape from the stresses of London. If you take the South Bank path upriver, past the Houses of Parliament, you’ll find yourself in Battersea Park – the pagoda there is a beautiful place to sit and breathe. The Chelsea Physic Garden, just across the river, is a smaller gem, but beautiful and peaceful with it."- Miss Alice

* Photo by a shadow of my future self, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Getaway

Question of the week: London is a big, bustling city full of small, peaceful surprises. Where is your favourite London getaway?

"What amazes me about London is that you find these little sanctuaries of peace and tranquility just a stone's throw from some of the busiest places in the city. Two that spring to mind (joint favourites perhaps) are Golden Sq., which is about 30 seconds walk from both Piccadilly Circus and Regent's Street, and the garden of St. John's Waterloo. For those Conway Hall residents who haven't visited the latter yet, you really should!"- Jamie

* Photo by Gary Simmons, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Getaway

Question of the week: London is a big, bustling city full of small, peaceful surprises. Where is your favourite London getaway?

"One of my favourite things to do to get away from it all in the city is to head to a quiet gallery and spend time in a peaceful cafe. One of best in London is the cafe at the Wallace Collection. The gallery itself (which is just a stone's throw north of Oxford Street) is open daily 10am-5pm and entry is free. The cafe is in a beautiful, tranquil courtyard - a really wonderful, relaxing spot. Glorious!"- Clare

* Photo by Rain Rabbit, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London speakers - Kris

Question of the week: Where in London do you go to hear great public speakers?

"Gresham College was founded in 1597 as an educational institute, and it has been providing free lectures to the public ever since. The topics vary widely - the College supports eight professors who lecture on their specialities range from commerce and geometry to music and rhetoric, so there's bound to be something that might interest you!

Check out their website for more information and a list of lectures."- Kris

London speakers - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Where in London do you go to hear great public speakers?

"I'm a big fan of the RSA's events - over 150 free lectures, discussions,and screenings each year, open to the public, and featuring top flight academics, politicians, authors and business people with the goal of "encouraging intelligent public debate."

To take this week as a random sample - yesterday saw anthropologist Dr Scott Atran on religious violence, and 'Talking to the Enemy', today has the UK premiere screening of An African Answer, followed by discussion with the director, Wednesday has a keynote from Dr Ian Goldin on Africa in the 21st century, and Thursday has a double helping, with Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson discussing 'financial fables' and the deficit in the evening, and journalist Dan Hind on 'The Return of the Public' at lunchtime. All free, and just a few minutes walk away from the London Centre.

If you miss something fascinating, or are unable to get tickets, the RSA generally make the audio available on their website - a fantastic resource."- Miss Alice

* Photo by Laura Billings, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London day trip - Kris

Question of the week: Can you recommend a London day-trip?

"Do you miss the great outdoors? Are you tired of seeing buildings and urban sprawl everywhere you turn? Try heading to Richmond Park, where you can picnic in the shade of ancient trees, watch two types of deer roam free, or rent a bike and ride through the 2500 acres of loveliness. The park started as a royal hunting ground in the Middle Ages, but now boasts facilities for bird watchers, fisher-people, and everyone else! My favourite place in the Park is King Henry's Mount, where you get an uninterrupted view of St. Paul's Cathedral - 12 miles away!

Take a look at their website for more information"
- Kris

* Photo by law_kevin, used under Creative Commons.

London day trip - Cornelius O'Boyle

Question of the week: Can you recommend a London day-trip?

"No visit to London is complete without a trip to Greenwich, down river on the banks of the Thames. Greenwich is, of course, the location of the world's prime meridian, from which all space and time on earth is measured. The historic Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Hospital for Seamen (Greenwich Hospital), and Greenwich town centre (with its covered marketplace) are also all well worth seeing. But many forget that further down river is the Thames Barrier.

The barrier is the world's largest movable flood barrier, spanning 520 metres across the river. Completed in 1982, the barrier was designed to protect London from flooding, especially during spring, when high tides threaten to engulf central London (and most of Zone 1 of the tube system!) under millions of tons of water from the North Sea. When first opened, the barrier was raised on average 10 times a year; now, because of global warming, it is raised more than 30 times a year. Some engineers suggest that if the barrier isn't enlarged soon, it will fail by 2030 and London will once again run serious risk of being flooded.

One way to view this spectacular structure is from a river boat (which can be boarded in central London or at Greenwich). Alternatively, one can take a bus from Greenwich to the Thames Barrier Information and Learning Centre, which is located on the south bank of the River Thames. Better still, take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to "Pontoon Dock" and visit the new Thames Barrier Park, a 22-acre contemporary-designed park with spectacular views of the barrier."
- Cornelius O'Boyle

* Photo by 10b travelling, used under Creative Commons.

What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London? - Phillippa Howarth

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London?

"Through sleet, freezing fog, gales and even the occasional bout of sunshine, Londoners love their open-air swimming. Well, a small minority of fool-hardy Londoners, anyway. The traditional Peter Pan Cup race has been held every Christmas in the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park since 1864, but the Lido is open all year round and I’d recommend going soon, and well before the water freezes over. If you’re not inclined to brave the waters, take a pedalo boat for a (rather slow) spin on the lake.

If you find that you get a taste for open-air swimming, head up to the stunningly beautiful swimming ponds on Hampstead Heath. There are three (one for men, one for women and one mixed pool), all tucked away in leafy corners of the park so tranquil that you could easily forget that you’re in the heart of a bustling metropolis."

- Phillippa Howarth

* Photo by Ben Hanbury, used under Creative Commons.

What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London? - Miss Alice

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London?

"This time of year I'd say heading south of the river to go blackberrying in Nunhead Cemetery.

Out in the suburbs, Nunhead is one of the great Victorian cemeteries, and although there are fewer famous burials there than at Highgate, it's packed with beautiful funerary sculptures, has a lovely Victorian-Gothic chapel and some sad stories to tell as you read the memorial stones. Much of it is also romantically overgrown with ivy and, more to the point, brambles. Take a couple of lunch boxes, and stock up on the most delicious free wild food!"

- Miss Alice

* Photo by Dru, used under Creative Commons.

What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London? - Dr Holt

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London?

"Among my favourite London places are the markets. I hadn't realized till I moved here how lively and varied they are. And busy, too. "Busy" here is the word used to describe a place that is crowded, active, packed, and so yes, these markets are all busy. After several visits you'll get a sense of what markets you like best, what stalls you'd like to revisit, and when is the best time to go. You have several markets not far from Kamen-Minerva, but perhaps you'll want to go further afield. Everyone raves about the bargains in Camden Market and Portobello Road, and besides those my own favourites are Borough Market for fish, meat, fruit, and vege from all over Britain and the Continent as well; Columbia Road Market for flowers from all over the world, and when nothing else will do Bermondsey Market for small mostly English bits of silver, one of a kind jewelry, and other curios that make nice presents for people back in the US." - Dr Holt.

* Photo by Fred Dawson, used under Creative Commons.

What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London? - Greg Kucich

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite non-touristy things to do in London?

"Take the underground to Highgate and visit Highgate village, which has an eighteenth-century village atmosphere, and Highgate Cemetery, one of the world's more famous burial grounds, whose many distinguished inhabitants include Karl Marx."

Greg Kucich

* Photo by twenty_questions, used under Creative Commons.