londoners

[patten]

Hi everyone,

My wife and I will be visiting London for a few days in April.
We are wondering which of the free museums and galleries are most worth visiting as we will have to make a choice.
Also if you have tips for affordable places to have a nice meal or a drink. They are more than welcome.
We will be staying near Paddington Station and Bayswater area.
It's not our first visit we have been to London lot's of times , so surprise me with the less obvious choices.

Love P.

 

[Grim O'Grady]

you could check out the MozTube Tour in the tour forum?
I'm not a Londoner but I went on the tour, you could also (if you aint already) get a copy of the book 'Panic on the streets', that's full of stuff for the London Mozzer tourist (& there's a Manchester section, should you ever want to see the real England? )

love

Grim

 

[Virgil Tracy]

Most of the museums are free (thanks to the Labour government) so it largely depends on what you are interested in, the best ones are the National History & Science Museums (South Kensington, District Line) and the British Museum (Holborn, Central Line) The Transport Museum is very cool but you do have to pay (Covent Garden, Piccadilly Line)

There is always a lot going on so it would be worth parting with a couple of quid for a copy of Time Out.

As for eats I’m not sure but you have to have pie’n’mash from Duncan’s on Green Street (Upton Park, District Line) and why not have a wonder down to the greatest football club in London and in fact the world?

Also get yourself an Oyster Card – they are £3 and you top them up similar to a pay as you go mobile phone – it is so much cheaper than buying tickets!

Any other questions please get in touch!!!

 

[Kewpie]

You'll find many useful links of London from my London directory thread:

http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81042

 

[Brel]

I'm not a Londoner, but I do travel to Westminster frequently with work. I have some favourite places in London:-

The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square. This is a free museum that is a peaceful haven in busy London.

Tate Britain, Millbank. I'm never out of this place (I stay next door to it, when I'm in town). Forget the Tate Modern, apart from the Turbine Hall itself, there is never anything worth seeing in there. The Britain however is a gem. Again, free!

The French House, Dean Street, Soho. When Morrissey cancelled the Roundouse gigs, I cheered myself up in here. More of a wine establishment than beer, they only sell half pints. Although on 1st April every year, they sell pints! So you might hit it lucky? (no joke).

Talking of affordable? Just down the road from the French is the Dog and Duck (Bateman St, Soho). I was in there the other week drinking London Pride (£2.50 a pint, cheap for London). I noticed they had bottles of Rosemount Estate wine for £7.95! A bargain! It's a lovely cosy pub as well.

Borough Market, Southwark. Have lunch on the move. Some good places to have a bite to eat, or a drink around here. Go and have a wander, it's a cracking area of London.

Oyster cards been mentioned. But if you know that you are going to be hopping on and off tubes & buses all day, a travelcard does the same job.

 

[Jukebox Jury]

you could check out the MozTube Tour in the tour forum?
I'm not a Londoner but I went on the tour, you could also (if you aint already) get a copy of the book 'Panic on the streets', that's full of stuff for the London Mozzer tourist (& there's a Manchester section, should you ever want to see the real England? )

love

Grim

Buy that man a pint!

As for eats I’m not sure but you have to have pie’n’mash from Duncan’s on Green Street (Upton Park, District Line) and why not have a wonder down to the greatest football club in London and in fact the world?

I thought Barnet was North London?

For eats, I usually go and find a Weatherspoons. I know they are McPubs, but you can usually eat two meals for £8 or something like that and the drinks are cheap too

I'd also recommend going up the Monument (Monument tube station) it is only £2 but you get a great view up there (assuming it's not lashing it down) but you do have to walk up a spiral staircase to get to the top!

Jukebox Jury

 

[patten]

Thanks for answering so far everyone. Please keep the suggestions coming. I'm very gratefull.
I do own ' Panic on the streets', so that won't be a problem.

Love P.

 

[down_in_albion]

I thought Barnet was North London?

I think he means Holloway N7, I know they play amateur football in Upton Park but...


Camden Town is always worth a look, Upper Street Islington, Tate Modern, Spitalfields, The City (if you like glass and metal skyscrapers), Kew Gardens, Soho.

 

[Jukebox Jury]

I do own ' Panic on the streets', so that won't be a problem.
Love P.

That's all you need

Jukebox Jury

 

[lottie]

don't waste time in the protrait gallery, we went whilst in london for the camden gigs, just to see the smiths pic they have, and the icons moz one of course.
turns out according to their 'database' they have FOUR,
none of which are in the place at the moment...
(upset is an understatement)

for great affordable veggie food i always go to Eat and two veg, on marleybone high st, they do the best stuff and MASSIVE portions. (plus no risk of flesh contamination as it is veggie/vegan only.)
http://www.eatandtwoveg.com/

 

[Paulc]

Hey Patten

A fantastic way to see some of the lesser known stuff in London is to do one of the London Walks: http://www.walks.com/

The guides are interesting and enthusiastic and the walks themselves are fascinating.

if you are staying near Paddington try the Little Venice walk - MrsC and i did that one recently and it was absolutely superb. It costs £6 each and lasts two hours:
http://www.walks.com/Homepage/Sunday/default.aspx#172

Highly recommend this way to see London - to get it "on topic" there is a Jack the Ripper walk.....
http://www.walks.com/Homepage/Jack_the_Ripper/default.aspx#1828

 

[Busy Clippers]

The Tate Britain, the National Gallery, and the British Museum are all certainly worth a visit. Since they're free, you can stay for as little or as long as you like. They charge for special exhibitions, but if it's your first visit you'll see enough in the regular collections to keep you boggled. It's best to visit on a weekday to avoid crowds.

Regarding food and drink, by "affordable," do you mean lower priced or dead cheap? I can help with either, but they're very different.

 

[patten]

Hi Busy,

If lower priced means still good tasting and cheap means bad tasting than I'll go for the first option.

Greetz P.

 

[Busy Clippers]

Hi Busy,

If lower priced means still good tasting and cheap means bad tasting than I'll go for the first option.

Greetz P.

If you are near Trafalgar Square at lunchtime, say at the National Gallery, go across to St. Martin In The Fields and have lunch at the Cafe In the Crypt; it's not expensive and always good. There are also some free lunchtime concerts, so instead of sitting an a boring old restaurant you can do something different.

If you're at the British Museum, there's a Thai place in Museum St. that wasn't bad at all, maybe someone here can say if it's even still there?!

If you're at the Tate Britain, can't help you because I paid waaay too much and ate in their restaurant. It was good, but certainly not worth the money. I hear the cafe's alright. If you're at the Tate Modern, go to The Table in Southwark St. It's inexpensive and pretty good.

 

[Virgil Tracy]

I didn't know there were so many london based solo-ers - we should arrange at least a monthly meet up!

 

[Jukebox Jury]

I didn't know there were so many london based solo-ers - we should arrange at least a monthly meet up!

I think you'll find some of the posters (myself included and certainly Jeane and Brel) are not London based, but just experienced travellers to our nations capital.
God Save The Queen

Jukebox Jury

 

[Busy Clippers]

I mentioned this thread to a friend who encouraged me to recommend 222 in Kensington and VitaOrganic in Soho. And I forgot to tell you about Red Veg, which is not exactly healthy but ohhh soooo goooood.

PS: I'm only an intermittent Londoner

 

[Kewpie]

I mentioned this thread to a friend who encouraged me to recommend 222 in Kensington and VitaOrganic in Soho. And I forgot to tell you about Red Veg, which is not exactly healthy but ohhh soooo goooood.

PS: I'm only an intermittent Londoner

You've lived in London and plan to come here soon?

 

[patten]

Any other tips are still more than welcome.
P.

 

[Brel]

Any other tips are still more than welcome.
P.

There is a very nice veggie cafe on Neal Street, near Covent Garden, called "Food for Thought". All home made and very tasty.

If it's a nice day and you've had enough of the crowds, head out to Highgate Hill and go for a walk in the cemetery. Or take the 30 minute train to Richmond and go for a walk on the Thames and a nice pint of Fullers Chiswick.

Islington used to be my London base for years. Everyone goes on about Upper Street, but I don't see the appeal myself? Apart from The Kings Head for a pint, it could be anywhere in the country. Go elsewhere.