The textile collections at the V+A are excellent. There are things knitted with thread in there- You have to go to the standing racks and pull them out in sort of vertical drawers.
Also, I used to like to go and eat my lunch looking out at the HMS Belfast. If you come out of London Bridge Station there is both a very cheap chipper and a gourmet food shop on the way to the river.
I don’t know if you’re technically allowed, but get into the sand around the river and look for broken clay pipes? That was fun.
I used to live in Stepney Green and walked every weekend to Hyde Park and got the tube back.
Some of the things I used to enjoy doing along the way:
Feed the sparrows in St James’ Park
Westminster Abbey
Speakers Corner on a Sunday Morning
The art market in Green Park (forget day)
Walk around Katherine’s Dock
Browse books on Charing Cross Road
National Portrait Gallery
If you like this kind of thing: there used to be a pub on Commercial Road - The George - where they would have open mic and/or guest performers with two absolutely amazing session musicians backing them up. My girlfriend and I were the only ones under 70 years old (we were in our 20s) but the atmosphere was amazing. I swear most of the regulars were superstars in their day (probably 1923).
If the George is no longer there, I’ll bet there are another 10 pubs just like it. The Lord Rodney on Mile End road had a similar kind of thing for student-age types.
Another thing I used to enjoy: just get on a Number 15 bus and get off when you see something interesting. The Number 15 bus route is the best in the world!
I went to the V&A today. It was raining, so I took the tube both ways. About the museum, let me say, WOW. My favorite exhibits were the outfits that had been made by recent graduates of some fashion university in London, the silver (which went on forever!), and all the locks and keys in the wrought-iron gallery. Also the plaster casts of effigies of knights. And the little mirrors that acted like an audience to the people that walked by (part of a digital art exhibit, I think).
I think I will be going to places that are closer to home tomorrow, though, following scifisam2009’s suggestions.
I also like the bus wandering idea and the cemetery idea.
I’d also follow SciFiSam’s hint about another board that has tons of people in London on it. It’s well worth registering on for someone in your position - they are mostly friendly, and there are a load of great people on there. It’s a bit more British (obviously), anarchic and unfocussed than here, but there is short shrift given to conspiraloons for example. It’s
I’d avoid the politics forums, there’s folk there who have been arguing about micro-doctrine for ten years. You’ll need to make a few posts before all the sub-forums open up to you.
The George is still there, but isn’t such a big music venue any more. As a matter of fact, this Monday coming I’m going to the George for a pub quiz organised by a friend who’s on urban75. Goblin Queen, drop me a line if you fancy coming along to that (same goes for anyone else, of course).
I’m not a big pub goer except for music nights. The White Hart - the one right by Whitechapel station (there’s another on the same road, put there to confuse people) does loads of music. The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green does a really chilled out open mic, and my favourite pub just as a pub is the Camel. I mean, I never go there, but if I were to go to a pub then that’d be it. Actually, the Sun Inn near Bethnal Green tube is lovely too, but that’s for the landlord and clientele rather than the decor or ambience.
I’ve never been to London, so I’m not speaking from experience, just commenting on what I’d like to do if I were there. I’d go to the Science Museum and the Sherlock Holmes museum.
Go to Forbidden Planet on a week day when there aren’t too many customers. Chat up one of the sales people. If possible, go and get hammered with them at closing time. You’ll get new friends with absurd levels of knowledge in space alien litterature, absurd fashion, art in general and who knows, you might even get a travelling companion
For that matter, the whole neighbourhood around the shop is something like Olde Bookshoppe Town. I could spend my life there.
Today I went to the Whitechapel Gallery and the Museum of Childhood. Enjoyed them both, and I know I’ll be going back to the Museum of Childhood because I didn’t have enough time to see everything.
I signed up to go to that lecture on LSD from the Forteans–I’m really curious about the kind of demographic that’s going to show up.
I can’t wait to go on a nice long bookshop wander, but that might need to wait till next Friday.
Tomorrow will be the Brick Lane Market. Thanks for the help!
What about…
St Paul’s Cathedral, then cross the Millenium bridge to Tate Modern for an hour or two, then walk along the Embankment to London Bridge and enjoy the food in Borough Market on a Saturday.
First thing I thought of was Camden market on saturdays and sundays. It’s a must if you haven’t been there yet. Wall to wall studenty types and acres of music fashion and arty stuff.
Go to Bath with your friend - it’s one of the few places in England outside London that I would genuinely recommend to a tourist.
The Tate Modern is worth seeing at least once - they’ll have some fairly cool exhibit in the big hall and lots of crazy installations.
It’s quite a way out, but the Church of Scientology at Saint Hill in East Grinstead is one of the most famous in the world: L Ron Hubbard bought it in 1959, it was their headquarters through the 60s and 70s, and even today it’s the standard by which all scientology churches are measured (‘Saint Hill Size’, they call it). I haven’t seen it yet but I’m planning to at some point. Certainly quite absurd as well, if that’s what you’re into.
Go to the Houses of Parliament or even Prime Minister’s Question Time if you can.
I would recommend London Walks. The guides are usually very knowledgeable and entertaining and it’s a good way to get to know the history of a particular neighbourhood. I’ve done the Hampstead pub walk, the Jack the Ripper one (you really need a good guide for that one as many of the historical place are now car parks!) and the eccentric London one…the Surgeons Museum was gross but cool.
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