London sights for Plum to visit before she returns to the States- Page 2

Posted: 11/6/05 at 8:40pm

Also take a trip to the Cotswold.

Posted: 11/6/05 at 8:41pm

Yes, Addy raised a good question. What theatre have you seen?

Be sure to see anything at the Haymarket, and the Theatre Royal.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 11/6/05 at 8:43pm

Drive through the Cotswolds on your way to Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Another excursion is Hampton Court.

[Plum]

Posted: 11/6/05 at 8:43pm

So far? Donmar Warehous, Sadler's Wells, Lyttleton, and (*girlish sigh*) the Olivier. And I'm going to the Menier Chocolate Factory if I have to mug someone for a ticket.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 11/6/05 at 8:45pm

...I assume you've seen Westminster Cathedral.

(I could spend hours there).

Posted: 11/6/05 at 8:50pm

Don't neglect St. Margaret's which is immediately next to Westminster.
Seek out the York Watergate, sitting on the former banks of the Thames, a taste of the great London River palaces
Someset House
Banqueting Hall the only remaining part of White Hall Palace
Enjoy the beauty of St. James' Park
Take in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall


I get enthusiastic over London

[Elphaba]

Posted: 11/6/05 at 10:03pm

NO ONE...NO ONE said the British Museum? I am shocked.....should be #1 on any trip.

Also, try to get south to Brighton

Posted: 11/6/05 at 10:24pm

Added note about Bedford Square.

This is the most perfectly perserved 18th Century square in London.

It is adjacent to The British Museum.

The National Gallery should be addd to the list

Posted: 11/6/05 at 10:24pm

Catch a performance of THE WOMAN IN BLACK.

Posted: 11/6/05 at 10:29pm

Tiff, the Jack the Ripper walking tour I took was under the auspices of "London Walks."

Eerie and haunting.

Visited all the murder sites at night, with many, many grizzly details.

It was sad, really, to be standing in the same spots, on that cold, wet and windy night, where those poor women lost their lives so violently.

Definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in social history, mystery and/or crime detection. Updated On: 11/6/05 at 10:29 PM

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 3:40am

Thanks for the info.

Has it been anyone's experience that there are bad times, weather-wise, to go to London? I went in the end of April and it was perfect, but my next trip is likely going to be in June/July. I've already heard horror stories about southern Europe, but how is it up north? And is the tourist congestion uncomfortably bad?

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 3:53am

Updated On: 1/3/09 at 03:53 AM

Posted: 11/7/05 at 7:04am

Oxford is also a great day trip from London.

[Millie42]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 8:38am

Aw, Jose! Bedford Square! I used to live 20 feet from there!!

I think a wonderful thing to do is on a Sat head to Portobello Road Market, do a bit of shopping and then head to BOROUGH MARKET for lunch!
Aside from this family run booth that has awesome sandwiches, the best brownies in the world are at this market. They are really big and only 1.25..... and insanely good. They sell out every week.

Other places:
-Go to the top of St. Paul's: the view is incredible
-If you are big on architecture: Go over to Greenwich to the Old Royal Naval College
-If you like history: Imperial War Museum, Cabinet War Rooms

And if you are going to head over to Stratford-upon-Avon, try to stop by Warwick Castle. It's the best preserved in all of the UK.
You can get cheap bus rides everywhere through megabus.com

[BrendanStryker]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 8:46am

Not to mention Kington-upon-Thames, my hometown!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 5:54pm

I'm also shocked that it took 30 messages before someone mentioned the BRITISH MUSEUM, one of the greatest museums in the world. You can see the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin marbles that were pilfered from the Parthenon, and the preserved British Library Reading Room.

Has no one mentioned St. Paul's Cathedral? It's one of the loveliest cathedrals in the world. The eery Whispering Gallery inside the cupola is worth the trip alone, where you can hear someone whisper from 100 feet away.

This is a theatre board and no one has mentioned the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden! For shame! Currently there's an exhibit on the Redgrave family.

Also visit Westminster Abbey, where you can see the tombs of Elizabeth I, Henry V, and a host of other famous Brits.

The Tower of London is worth an entire afternoon. The fortress is bursting at the seams with history, and you also get to see the Royal Jewels. It's worth the exorbitant admission price.

St. James' Park is the most beautiful park/garden in London, and really should be visited.

[Millie42]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 6:08pm

Well, I think no one mentioned the British Museum b/c it is pretty much a given. If you live in London for several months and don't go.... there just must be something wrong with you!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 6:41pm

Millie! I wanted to thank you for the London advice a few months ago. Needless to say, I had a wonderful time.

Posted: 11/7/05 at 6:48pm

One of the finest things to do in London is to simply walk.

[Millie42]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 6:51pm

you're welcome, BW. I'm glad you had a wonderful trip!

[Jilani]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 7:49pm

London's Natural History Museum and Science Museum are also both really good, and free! They're located near each other, within walking distance from the South Kensington tube station.

Also, the food halls at Harrod's department store are a total sensory delight (the rest of the store is pretty amazing to browse in as well).

Posted: 11/7/05 at 8:06pm

Be sure to visit The Chocolate Society on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia, for a wonderfully rich, and warming, hot chocolate.


The V&A, is absolutely a MUST; especially the British Wing. English decorative arts and social history from the Medieval period through the end of Victoria's reign.

Also stop into the Brompton Oratory, which is next door on Thurloe Place at Brompton Road.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 8:13pm

Has anyone here ever visited the Houses of Parliament? I've always been curious about them, but never went. And is Buckhingham Palace really worth visiting?

Posted: 11/7/05 at 8:16pm

Yes, and yes.

Both extraordinary, and definitely worth visiting.

Posted: 11/9/05 at 7:04am

'Cause Plumster can't possibly allow herself to feel bored and/or alone in London when so many of us wish her well.