# I'm going to London (advice/meetup) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 8, 2006, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839 "2006-08-08T09:55:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/41 "2006-08-11T09:58:20Z")
Gah, hit the button early…I was going to say that if so, you could fit it in with a visit to [Borough Market](http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/aboutus.html). For more everyday snacks, just find a supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/42 "2006-08-11T09:59:57Z")
**GorillaMan** that’s the one. Oh, you’ve all been so nice. I have one friend in London, and one friend of a friend. I will post on the other board (y’all have internet cafes, yes?) but where should we meet for drinks? ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/43 "2006-08-11T10:03:58Z")
[QUOTE=MerryMagdalen] **jjimm** , so I should ask someone to point me to a take-away for curry, right? And I’ve read a bit about the Eye…but only in guidebooks. (I got Time Out London and London for Dummies, and I plan to get an A-Z when I get there.) Is it like a Ferris wheel? (Like, you ride in it and see everything?) And what is your time zone in relation to the Eastern US? (I’m from the West Coast, but I can calculate.) [/QUOTE] Information about [The London Eye](http://www.londoneye.com/) And I think the time difference is six hours from the US East Coast. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/44 "2006-08-11T10:05:44Z")
You can check time zone with [this handy website](http://www.timezonecheck.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/45 "2006-08-11T10:06:59Z")
The London Eye is like a ferris wheel, yes, but it’s Yuuuuge! - seriously - you see it from Waterloo and you think “Meh, a big wheel”, but as you walk up to it, the scale of the thing is just incredible. You ride in oval glass ‘pods’ that you just walk into; they’re about the size of a minibus and you enter them while the wheel continues to turn (much, much less scary than it sounds). It’s blerdy expensive, and there is often a very long queue for tickets (which you buy in a nearby building), then another queue to get on the thing. Still, it’s worth doing once. ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/46 "2006-08-11T10:07:52Z")
I think I’m at an advantage as far as time zones…I work swing shift here (1430-2300) so I’m about nine hours ahead of the average American anyway. As long as I don’t get blown up on the plane, this will be so much fun… ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/47 "2006-08-11T10:08:27Z")
We’re GMT+1 - the east coast is GMT-5 usually, but in your summer time you’re GMT-4. So we’re five hours ahead of the east coast. Get a good takeaway, but you can go for a sit-down curry too. The Eye is a ferris wheel that is absolutely enormous, moves very slowly, and you stand/sit in a big glass pod with a 360 degree view. You’ll have to line up to get on it unless you go very early, but it’s well worth it as long as you’re not afraid of heights. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/48 "2006-08-11T10:10:02Z")
I should say - we’re normally bang on GMT (the time zone being named for Greenwich, which is in London, because we used to run the world before your lot took over) but we go to GMT+1 during the summer months. ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/49 "2006-08-11T10:10:23Z")
**Mangetout** I saw the pictures and that’s what I thought it was…a Very Big ferris wheel. It sounds great! I have actually gotten around NYC pretty well before…I don’t think the London tube will be a huge problem… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/50 "2006-08-11T10:13:37Z")
[QUOTE=MerryMagdalen] I have actually gotten around NYC pretty well before…I don’t think the London tube will be a huge problem… [/QUOTE] No, it won’t…often, buses are more convenient for journies in central London, but figuring them out is a bit more of a challenge for the visitor! (Heh, 11am on Friday, and it would appear that all the BritDopers are slacking off work & idling away on t’internet…) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/51 "2006-08-11T10:14:43Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] (Heh, 11am on Friday, and it would appear that all the BritDopers are slacking off work & idling away on t’internet…) [/QUOTE] Speak for yourself. I’m in the middle of an important… er… crucial project thing… ah feck it, it’s Friday. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/52 "2006-08-11T10:15:45Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] (Heh, 11am on Friday, and it would appear that all the BritDopers are slacking off work & idling away on t’internet…) [/QUOTE] I’ve got the perfect excuse, I’m retired . ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/53 "2006-08-11T10:20:29Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man] I’ve got the perfect excuse, I’m retired . [/QUOTE] Bugger, even better than [mine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_holiday). (_Wikipedia…is there anything it can’t do?_) ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/54 "2006-08-11T10:20:55Z")
I actually have to work for the next four days. I have one day off to pack and such. Thank you, slacking BritDopers! You’ve given me so much information, but keep it coming… ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/55 "2006-08-11T10:23:42Z")
So if it’s about 11 am there, and 3:30 here, you’re about 8 hours away during the summer. (I visited Dublin in December, so the times were different.) ---
**Author:** ![yingtongtiddleipo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f6c823/32.png) [@yingtongtiddleipo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yingtongtiddleipo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/56 "2006-08-11T10:26:28Z")
Yes, yes I am slacking. I am my own boss however, so I’ve given myself a talking to, and decided I’ve worked hard enough already this week! So (to quote JJimm) - Feck it, it’s FFFFRRRRRRIIIIIDAY!! ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/57 "2006-08-11T10:29:50Z")
Heh, tomorrow’s Friday here, but it’s my Monday. The joys of working in the health care field… ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/58 "2006-08-11T11:28:07Z")
Speaking of time, and GMT, the cruise down the Thames to Greenwich, with it’s nautical museums, etc. is good. ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/59 "2006-08-16T09:15:30Z")
Lawdy… The friends will be here to pick me up in 45 minutes. I’m still going. I’ll search for this thread and post on the Brit board when I get there. I’m glad they’ve relaxed the restrictions a bit… ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839/60 "2006-08-16T09:32:56Z")
Speaking of GMT, take a trip out to Greenwich. The maritime museum, the Greenwich Observatory and surrounding park and the township are all worth visiting. It is not a long trip on the train, ahem tube, although there is some walking once you are there. Kew Gardens is very pleasant too. Although 12 Pounds entry? I mean what? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-london-advice-meetup/367839.md?page=4)