UK People

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

I am traveling, alone, to Saint-Petersburg, Russia in May for the week surrounding Victory Day (May 9th). I have a 24 hour layover in London. I arrive at 1700 on the 12th of May and leave at 1735 on the 13th, given customs, and early arrival at the airport i figure I have around 20 hours to kill. I have never been there other than transfers at the airport, what should I do in the short amount of time I am there?

 

*note I am not timid or intimidated by public transportation in big cites and can read maps quite well.

[HotNess 2]

find soho..

 

xx v xx

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

find soho..

 

xx v xx

 

Can I buy Fred Perry and Merc jackets there without having to pay ridiculous shipping?

[Vampyre 24]

You might want to give an idea of what you might be interested in doing in London. I personally would hit the RAF museum in Hendon. Its in the northern part of London. It's been ages since i last visited.

 

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/index.cfm

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

You might want to give an idea of what you might be interested in doing in London. I personally would hit the RAF museum in Hendon. Its in the northern part of London. It's been ages since i last visited.

 

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/index.cfm

 

That place looks pretty cool, although I probably won't make it up that way, maybe if I had 48 hours, but I would kind of like to see the city and not be at a museum that I could realistically spend all day at.

[crl848 9]

Don't ask me, I just live here. Seriously, why not do one of those tourist open top buses, a good way to see the sights in a short time.

[+whiteknight06604 934]

If I ever got to London I'd spend my time with good beer and a saucey wench.

[+Piecemeal 450]

If I ever got to London I'd spend my time with good beer and a saucey wench.

 

 

No offense to my British forum-colleagues; but I spent two years living in London, and to be honest the beer is as weak as p*ss. You're as well off sticking to the spirits during your short stay. As for saucy wenches, well, you won't be disappointed there my friend.

I'd also suggest the War Museum...

 

[crl848 9]

Isn't the beer in Ireland and England practically the same? Was last time I was in Dublin, except there's more choice on the ale front here.

[+Piecemeal 450]

Maybe it's just me but I found that when I was out I always had to drink a lot more beer in order to get the desired 'effect'

Anytime I went home to Ireland for a few days I ended up p*ssed as a skunk after three or four pints

[scouserlad13 0]

I would take the Jack the ripper tour, follow the murder trail, that looks fun, or go to the Maddame tudauds wax works, when i went there, i thought it was amazing, or well if your more into your history, head towards the Tower of London. But, i would honestly suggest going to the RAF museum, i think if the traffic was alright, you could get there in around 1 hour from the airport, but that is just a guess. Or if you want just a quick tour, then just stick with the open tour busses.

[ndicki 22]

I would take the Jack the ripper tour, follow the murder trail, that looks fun, or go to the Maddame tudauds wax works, when i went there, i thought it was amazing, or well if your more into your history, head towards the Tower of London. But, i would honestly suggest going to the RAF museum, i think if the traffic was alright, you could get there in around 1 hour from the airport, but that is just a guess. Or if you want just a quick tour, then just stick with the open tour busses.

 

I confirm - the RAF Museum is on the Underground at Colindale (Northern Line). Dead easy to get to.

 

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/planavisit/index.cfm

 

Failing that, the Imperial War Museum or the National Army Museum are worth a visit - first rate stuff which the Poms do very well. I'd write off Mme Tussaud's if I were you - the queue can go for hours. You'd probably get fed up of waiting - we did. We didn't bother with it in the end.

 

If the weather's OK, I'd just stroll around one of the parks for a while, too, just to get the flavour of it.

 

Or spend a while looking at photos from the War - VE-Day and so on - and visit some of the places. Also quite fun if that sort of thing keeps you out of trouble!

 

Or you could always go and stand outside Zimbabwe House (429 The Strand) and pelt any ZANU bas-tard you see with rotten eggs or tomatoes. Try tinned tomatoes, they're more effective, pollute less and can be recycled several times and eaten after use.

Edited February 27, 2009 by ndicki

[Slartibartfast 153]

Also dont forget HMS Belfast (yeah I know a boat) on the Thames as you can then do the Real London Bridge... and the Tower of London and then grab one of the open top buses back to Traflagar Square...

Edited February 27, 2009 by PACMAN

[+Dave 2,322]

can read maps quite well.

 

I would certainly hope so.

[GwynO 16]

Depends on your taste really. If you like art and culture and that sort of thing, well you arrive after 1700 so forget museums as they will be shut, try Leicester square for a theatre show if you want. If you like getting off your tits and feel comfortable around punks, emos, crusties and so on, then definitely go to Cambden town!! One of my personal favourites for London night life. Greenwich is very nice but then you have to make sure you have a bed to lay down in that side of town at night because you can't trust the tube at night. Generally in London, don't rely on the tube because they have maintenance and so on happening all the time, if the desired line is shut all is not lost, just walk or get a taxi to the next station that has an alternative line going where you want.

 

As for beer, stay away from the big bars that cater for tourists, thus the reason for my preference of Greenwich and Cambden, big touristy bars will not shy from charging you £5 a pint The beer in a lot of places in London does taste watered down.. that would be illegal but it does taste that way. Why not just buy yourself few cans of special brew instead? That's what I do, then sit yourself down and enjoy watching London go by. Don't pick a fight with anyone who dresses like a rapper and says Brap a lot, you will get shot, stabbed or probably both

 

If you like comedy, there are a couple of really good venues in the evening, you can catch anything from drama students making some extra cash to venerable stars like Greg Proops who seems to live in London. I seem to remember the comedy tickets are sold around the same area as the theatre tickets so Leicester square is the best bet for that.

 

For eating, can't go wrong with China town! Plenty of choice and even a few other places around if you don't fancy chinese, Pizza, Indian or dreaded gastro pubs are not far. China town is also right next door to soho. Unfortunately soho is not the place it once used to be, gone are the hippy fashionistas and hard core porn shops come brothels, replaced by generic dirty video and dildo shops and some insanely overpriced catwalk outlets.

 

Whatever you do, go out and have a wander! You have nothing to loose other than sleep and a little money if you stay away from the brap brap idiots and stay within ten miles of the centre, you will still have time to get back for some rest and your check in. Be sure to have a good time and let us know how you got on!

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

Or you could always go and stand outside Zimbabwe House (429 The Strand) and pelt any ZANU bas-tard you see with rotten eggs or tomatoes. Try tinned tomatoes, they're more effective, pollute less and can be recycled several times and eaten after use.

 

Would do this in a heartbeat

 

Where is the Troopie Statue? I know it is in the London area now.

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

Depends on your taste really. If you like art and culture and that sort of thing, well you arrive after 1700 so forget museums as they will be shut, try Leicester square for a theatre show if you want. If you like getting off your tits and feel comfortable around punks, emos, crusties and so on, then definitely go to Cambden town!! One of my personal favourites for London night life. Greenwich is very nice but then you have to make sure you have a bed to lay down in that side of town at night because you can't trust the tube at night. Generally in London, don't rely on the tube because they have maintenance and so on happening all the time, if the desired line is shut all is not lost, just walk or get a taxi to the next station that has an alternative line going where you want.

 

As for beer, stay away from the big bars that cater for tourists, thus the reason for my preference of Greenwich and Cambden, big touristy bars will not shy from charging you £5 a pint The beer in a lot of places in London does taste watered down.. that would be illegal but it does taste that way. Why not just buy yourself few cans of special brew instead? That's what I do, then sit yourself down and enjoy watching London go by. Don't pick a fight with anyone who dresses like a rapper and says Brap a lot, you will get shot, stabbed or probably both

 

If you like comedy, there are a couple of really good venues in the evening, you can catch anything from drama students making some extra cash to venerable stars like Greg Proops who seems to live in London. I seem to remember the comedy tickets are sold around the same area as the theatre tickets so Leicester square is the best bet for that.

 

For eating, can't go wrong with China town! Plenty of choice and even a few other places around if you don't fancy chinese, Pizza, Indian or dreaded gastro pubs are not far. China town is also right next door to soho. Unfortunately soho is not the place it once used to be, gone are the hippy fashionistas and hard core porn shops come brothels, replaced by generic dirty video and dildo shops and some insanely overpriced catwalk outlets.

 

Whatever you do, go out and have a wander! You have nothing to loose other than sleep and a little money if you stay away from the brap brap idiots and stay within ten miles of the centre, you will still have time to get back for some rest and your check in. Be sure to have a good time and let us know how you got on!

 

Thank you, this is what I was looking for. I'm all about absorbing culture, I like museums and the like, but with only a night/day I would rather spend it actually seeing a bit of the city. The people you mentioned in Cambden wouldn't bother me as a whole, as I have drank with all spectrum of people from crusty anarchists with dreadlocks and Crass shirts complaining about capitalists and fascists to founding members of Blood and Honour complaining about communists and capitalists. Maybe I am some kind of armature sociologist or something as I like to converse with all kinds of interesting people, but I digress, What area should I get a hotel in to be in a central location?

[ndicki 22]

Would do this in a heartbeat

 

Where is the Troopie Statue? I know it is in the London area now.

 

No idea - I wondered what had happened to it. The K4s weren't going to leave it up at Cranbourne, anyway.

 

Here you go: http://www.therli.com/Troper_report.asp

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

No idea - I wondered what had happened to it. The K4s weren't going to leave it up at Cranbourne, anyway.

 

Here you go: http://www.therli.com/Troper_report.asp

 

I'm sure they would have melted it down to build a house for Mugabe on a farm... but that is for a different thread...

[+Jug 99]

I'm sure they would have melted it down to build a house for Mugabe on a farm... but that is for a different thread...

My vote is for the Duxford Imperial War museum, but it would probably require an overnight stay. Trains pretty much run on time an you could get up there and back fairly easy. Didn't do the wenching thing (wife disapproves), but you can wander into any Pub and you will be delighted with the British folks there. Now there will be a bum or two, just like here, but the real treat is to toss a few down with a couple of the locals, get them wound up, and let them loose. They are, as always, the true treasue of the UK. Carefull with the slang though, I'm pretty sure tossing means something other than what I just said here.

Edited February 27, 2009 by Jug

[GwynO 16]

Thank you, this is what I was looking for. I'm all about absorbing culture, I like museums and the like, but with only a night/day I would rather spend it actually seeing a bit of the city. The people you mentioned in Cambden wouldn't bother me as a whole, as I have drank with all spectrum of people from crusty anarchists with dreadlocks and Crass shirts complaining about capitalists and fascists to founding members of Blood and Honour complaining about communists and capitalists. Maybe I am some kind of armature sociologist or something as I like to converse with all kinds of interesting people, but I digress, What area should I get a hotel in to be in a central location?

 

Sounds to me like you would just love Cambden then! When the gf and I head to London we always stay in the Victoria area, plenty of cheap hotels and very central. I can easily recommend the best western hotel, stay away from Elisabeth House though! Smells of smack and is generally dirty.