Modern Vespa

Early next month I have a Friday and Saturday to spend in London before coming back home to California (a meeting feel thru and it cost more to change the tix than to stay over). I know there is a fairly strong contingent of folks from the UK on this board and thought I would ask for some advice on what to see, what is not worth the hassle, etc.

There is so much to choose from and I am sort of interested in those things that would be intriguing from a photographic, historical or just plain "cool to see" perspective. I would rather not spend my time following the herds of tourists around if it can be avoided.

I'll be staying out at the Renaissance by LHR. How much trouble is it to get into downtown (seems like the train is pretty easy)? Interested in hearing what ideas the crew have for me...!

Heathrow express is easy peasy. If you have not been to London before then I am afraid you simply must do some of the tourist things as this is one of the great cities of the world.
I have done a couple of two day stop-overs and I would recommend:
Wandering thru Soho and Carnaby Street.
The Tait Modern
Lunch astride a large bronze lion in Trafalgar Square
Riding the Tube around the Circle line just for the fun of it.
Warterloo Station coz it is in so many Bond movies, Spooks and Bourne Identity. Stand under the clock and look around for sniper positions 8)
If the weather is fine the open top bus tour works to get your bearings before you walk all day.
Avoid Covent Garden itself but the shops and streets around it are very cool.

Come to Stockwell and see the Jean Charles De Menezes memorial next to the tube entrance, then head to Brixton markets and experience south london!!

taking the tube in from LHR is easy. buy a 'day travel card' - you can then hop on and off any bus/tube that you like without paying again.

avoid madame tussauds unless you're fond of queuing for ages on a major road.

the south bank from waterloo all the way down to tower bridge is lovely to walk along, and very interesting from a photographic point of view. it's a bit crowded on the weekend but not unbearable. stop off at borough market (near london bridge) for a fantastic foodie experience. some of the stalls are open on friday but for peak experience go on a saturday. crowded but well worth it.

can you give us an idea of what sort of things you're into - art and culture? parks and gardens? shopping? architecture? there's so much to see that it'll be easier to give you good suggestions if we know what sort of stuff you enjoy most.

Personally I love the South Bank - check out Tate Modern, and take a river boat.

Tower Bridge definitely comes under 'cool to see', and I'm sorry but Trafalgar Square really is a must.

If you do drop in on Soho/Carnaby Street/Oxford Street, come and have a coffee with me as I work in the area

I did this guide for some US visitors who had a few free days in London before the Greek Islands Rally - you might find it useful and it works by postal code. A bit long!

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E1 (tubes Liverpool Street, Aldgate, Shoreditch)

Home of Brick Lane, which is also currently known as "Banglatown" in honour of
its many curry restaurants. Whatever, because 30 years ago it was Jewish. If you
like curry, you'll like this.

It also has a reputation for being part of the art scene, though in reality that
stopped being a factor about five or so years ago when the rent go too
expensive. The grafitti can still be top notch and the local inhabitants are
worth looking at in themselves because of their fashion nonsense. If you've ever
wanted to see a grown man in a pair of leggings with surf shorts over the top
and a cowlick haircut, this is the place.

Nice markets in the area, with Columbia Flower Market early on Sundays,
Spitalfields for clothes and jewellery and Brick Lane for odd bod stuff.

Also there's the dedicated carnivore extravaganza called "St John Bread and
Wine" restaurant on Commercial Street next to Spitalfields market.

This is called "nose to tail" eating is outrageously good unless you are a
vegetarian, in which case don't bother. There's nothing here for you except
maybe the wines and olives. St John is really very good but if you are squeamish
about offal and other offcuts of meat then you might want to give it a miss, or
surprise yourself and see how good it really tastes.


NW1 ( tubes Baker Street, Regent's Park, Camden Town, Marylebone, Paddington)

A basket case of a postcode that changes everywhere you turn. Has Regent's Park,
London Zoo.

Gerry Rafferty wrote about Baker Street but its really not very interesting.
Once it was fascinating, but that day is long gone. If you like waxworks you can
go to Madame Tussuads (expensive, long queues and no guarantee you'll recognise
anyone).

You can walk down the canal paths from Paddington to Camden Town to see where
Amy Winehouse spends all her time when she's not singing.

Camden is a very stimulating place with several good markets to see at the Lock,
and to also just to goggle at what people are wearing. It also a drug problem
that might be a little more naked that you are used to, and I don't recommend
hanging around it at night unless you are big city streetwise (and even then
this Londoner would be wary.

Home to lots of music venues. A good one is the Jazz Cafe on Parkway which does
funk, soul and jazz nights, with live acts. Otherwise most venues require nose
piercings to fit in. If you like the sound of this, try KOKO on Camden High
Street.

NW8 (tube St John's Wood)

Abbey Road - Because you might want to a cheesy thing (I did) and have your
photo taken on the pedestrian crossing like the Beatles did in 1969. Bonus
points for taking your shoes off. Cost, nil except your photo.

http://www.abbeyroad.com/

Otherwise its a big jewish area and you can find yourself a kosher restaurant no
problem.

WC1 (tubes Holborn and Russell Square)

British Museum - see how the British pilfered the world of their cultural
heritage. Free, and since you won't see the Elgin Marbles in Greece, you can see
them here.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/

Cartoon Museum on Great Russell Street - a small plug for somewhere I've worked,
its about £4 to get in.

The Princess Louise - a pub/beer halll that looks as it did when it opened back
in the Victorian age, a classic London pub. Cheap beer. Though the area has
great pubs generally, you will see some real Londoners drinking in here.

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/19/194/Princess_Louise/Holborn

The Fryer's Delight is a proper London fish and chip place. You can eat in at 19
Theobald's Rd, WC1.

W1 (tubes Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park,
Hyde Park Corner, Bond Street)

Tottenham Court Road tube borders Soho, which forms part of the debaunchery or
entertainment district.

What remains of the "adult" industry is here. If you are offended by overt
sexuality and sexual behaviour you would be advised to give Soho a miss. Don't
imagine you will suffer harrassment, but there is still a fair bit of
prostitution here, strip clubs and associated businesses. Along lots of media,
music and television businesses. Soho also has a million scooters parked in it,
as it's the only real form of transport that works in the small streets.

Charing Cross Road marks the border of Soho. It is home to London's booksellers,
and so you can visit their very eccentric establishments here. These are
properly English in the sense that service is non existent and the staff
incorrigable, but the books are great. Try Foyles.

Within Soho there is Old Compton Street is about as close as London ever gets to
having a continental café culture, but there are some tasty patisseries (Le
Maison Bertaux and Patisserie Valerie) and good looking people if the weather's
nice. Balans is a good place to get fed at a reasonable cost, and is open twenty
four hours, and is loud, with louder cocktails.

http://www.balans.co.uk/balansoho.htm

Frith Street has Bar Italia, which is famous for its classic Vespa/Lambretta
scooter club, and also because it is open twenty fours a day.

http://www.baritaliasoho.co.uk/

Lots of clubs and pubs. You can try Ronnie Scotts on Frith Street for jazz.
Otherwise there is Punk on Soho Square which is indie scene.

If you require a superlative cocktail try Milk and Honey at 61 Poland Street.
Ultra discreet, tell them I sent you! www.mlkhny.com

You can also visit Chinatown, though its not particularly splendid and the food
is best consumed after a pint of gin.

Oxford Circus/Bond Street/Piccadilly Circus

These stations basically make a Bermuda shopping triangle where you can empty
your wallet very quickly. Basically there are some very expensive clothing shops
including Selfridges. Selfridges is actually worth a visit, and this year they
celebrate 100 years of existence with the Big Yellow Festival with some free
events http://www.selfridges100.com/#/big_yellow_festival/14_17_may

Hyde Park Corner

You may stand here to for free to see the countries oddbods use their limited
rights to free speech by standing on a cardboard box and speaking forth. Be
prepared for a mix of the tin foil hat brigade, elderly Trotskyists,
(funda)mentalist Islam and all sorts of diverse opinions. Discussion is
encouraged, arguments are not.

When it all gets too silly to bear, go for a walk in Hyde Park, which is just
getting towards its best now.

WC2 (tubes Covent Garden, Embankment, Charing Cross)

Attend St Martin in the Fields Church, classical music in the crypt at Trafalagr
Square. Extremely cheap (£5 or so) and the performers are excellent, tickets
daily for lunchtime or evening. (Tube Charing Cross, take exits for Trafalgar
Square)

Trafalgar Square also has the National Gallery, which is free (Tube Charing
Cross, take exits for Trafalgar Square).

Near Embankment tube there is Gordons Wine Bar, which is a dungeon of wine from
1890. It's basically a cellar with a lot of wine, but if you want to have an
idea of how Victorian London drank wine, this is pretty good and the wine is top
notch (Just outside Embankment Tube). http://www.gordonswinebar.com/

There's also the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden though once you've
travelled on the tube you'll realise that already there. If you must touch an
old bus and get that groovy LT design, you might try here. Fantastic old
transport posters for sale:

http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/

SW1 (tubes Westminster, St James's Park, Pimlico, Victoria)

Westminster is for Houses of Parliament if you care to view.

More interesting is the Tate Britain (not modern art, but everything else) at
Pimlico. If you fancy seeing both the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern, there's
a nifty little riverboat called the Thames Clipper you can take up the Thames
between both galleries. It is a lovely trip to make.

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/

More stuff about the Thames Clipper:

http://www.thamesclippers.com/siteseeing-leisure/siteseeing-leisure.html

St James's Park is pleasant, and there's a rather good view of Buck Palace from
its bridge. If you turn around in the opposite direction, you will see the
Ministry of Defence parade ground.

It's fairly well known amongst spooks that Whitehall has a network of tunnels
underneath it, and that one bunker has been opened for the public to visit, on
the basis that this was Winston Churchill's residence in London during the
Second World War. Marvel at his romper suits and champagne habit.

http://cwr.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.221

But keep mum about the tunnels, I'd be in trouble if they knew that I knew and I
told you.

SE1 (tubes Borough, Waterloo, Southwark)

The Globe for a spot of Shakespeare in SE1, near Borough Market - if you don't
mind standing there are yard tickets available at about £5. (Tube is Borough).
Offering when you will be there will be Romeo and Juilet.
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/

The Tate Modern on Bankside (again) SE1 - free the standing exhibition isn't
amazing but the installations and current exhibitions are, and besides it is
generally an interesting area, you'll find pubs and booksellers here.
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/

Scooterworks - café with some classic scooters attached. The owner spends six
months of the year combing Italy for unrestored classic Vespa and Lambretta and
nurses them back to health here. http://www.myspace.com/scooterworks

W11 (tubes Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Grove)

Portobello Road Market early on a Saturday or Sunday is worth a look just for a
general hubbub (it gets very crowded) and sells antiques, knick nacks and all
sorts of things. http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/