RATMer's in London?

favyear54 · Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

Hi there,
I'm a long time lurker, and sometimes poster here, and hope to pick
the brains of the collective group. I'm going to be taking a 3 week
workshop this summer at the Globe in London. I'm so excited, but
really want to know about what to do and see in London. I was there
30 years ago as a college student, so I've been to the Tower, and
Dicken's home, and the original Madame Tussands (sp?) so I'd really
like to see the city and the area "like the natives".

So any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
F

Archived from group: rec>arts>theatre>musicals

Stephen Farrow · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 473

favyear54 wrote:
> Hi there,
> I'm a long time lurker, and sometimes poster here, and hope to pick
> the brains of the collective group. I'm going to be taking a 3 week
> workshop this summer at the Globe in London. I'm so excited, but
> really want to know about what to do and see in London. I was there
> 30 years ago as a college student, so I've been to the Tower, and
> Dicken's home, and the original Madame Tussands (sp?) so I'd really
> like to see the city and the area "like the natives".
>
> So any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
> Thanks.
> F

I'm not in London, but I used to live there (and went to university
there). What sort of things are you interested in doing? There's a huge
amount to see in London, and probably no two people will give you the
exact same shortlist of essential sights.

--

Stephen

Anita: Who's that?
Bren: That's Christine.
Anita: And what's that smell?
Bren: That's Christine as well.

Ray S · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 120

favyear54 wrote:
> Hi there,
> I'm a long time lurker, and sometimes poster here, and hope to pick
> the brains of the collective group. I'm going to be taking a 3 week
> workshop this summer at the Globe in London. I'm so excited, but
> really want to know about what to do and see in London. I was there
> 30 years ago as a college student, so I've been to the Tower, and
> Dicken's home, and the original Madame Tussands (sp?) so I'd really
> like to see the city and the area "like the natives".
>
> So any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
> Thanks.
> F

A stroll down High Street Kensington along Hyde Park, just past the park
you will find this sleepy street that runs up a long line of mansions
that are all embassies. A pleasant walk as its a quite and shady street.

The Portobello Market --- (Not sure on the status of that, they had a
big fire a couple weeks ago) is a fun way to waste a Saturday.

Touristy, but fun are the guided 'Walks'. Check online for the various
companies offering said.

Greenwich - The 'other' London. Easily reached via the DLR. The
observatory is an interesting museum, and the Naval museum is worth a
look. The rest of the town is small shops and a pleasant stroll.

Art museums such at the Tate over in the Pimlico district. Pimlico off
the main tourist beat yet still close in. Wander about there for
restaurants and pubs as well.

Westminster Abby. A must if you have never been. Everybody who is
everybody is buried there.

Tim Gowen · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 51

Ray S wrote:

> The Portobello Market --- (Not sure on the status of that, they had a
> big fire a couple weeks ago) is a fun way to waste a Saturday.

The fire was at Camden Market.

I'm not sure I know what Londoners do, but the markets are definitely
part of life; Hampstead is very good and well worth visiting. In the
centre of town go to Trafalgar Square and look at the alternative
designs for the 'fourth plinth'; walk though Covent Garden, Seven Dials,
and that whole area close to the Donmar Warehouse.

Walk along the South Bank, the National Theatre and the 'cafe society'
that goes on there. Take a flight on the London Eye if you want, it's
good fun.

Tim

There's loads of stuff to see!

--
Tim Gowen

Harlett O'Dowd · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 115

On Feb 26, 12:31 pm, t...@nospam.demon.co.uk (Tim Gowen) wrote:

there's a reason the National gallery is mention in Porter's lyric for
"You're The Top."

stunning. Perhaps the best overall collection on the planet - or at
least outside of Italy.

samn · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 1

On 24 Feb, 23:42, favyear54 wrote:
> Hi there,
> I'm a long time lurker, and sometimes poster here, and hope to pick
> the brains of the collective group. I'm going to be taking a 3 week
> workshop this summer at the Globe in London. I'm so excited, but
> really want to know about what to do and see in London. I was there
> 30 years ago as a college student, so I've been to the Tower, and
> Dicken's home, and the original Madame Tussands (sp?) so I'd really
> like to see the city and the area "like the natives".
>
> So any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
> Thanks.
> F

Here's a shameless plug for my neck of the woods: Richmond,
Surrey. Smile

I'd definitely recommend visiting this part of southwest
London if you've never been here before. We've got the river, Kew
Gardens, Richmond Park, Richmond Theatre, some very nice restaurants,
and a fantastic view from Richmond Hill! (Also within the borough is
the London Wetlands Centre in Barnes.) It's fairly easy to get to
Richmond from Central London, and I'd suggest a day's outing,
especially if you'll be in London in the summer.

atsarisborn · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 24

On Feb 26, 12:53 pm, "Harlett O'Dowd"
wrote:
> On Feb 26, 12:31 pm, t...@nospam.demon.co.uk (Tim Gowen) wrote:
>
> there's a reason the National gallery is mention in Porter's lyric for
> "You're The Top."
>
> stunning. Perhaps the best overall collection on the planet - or at
> least outside of Italy.

I hate to tell you this, Harlett, but the National Gallery in "You're
the Top" is the one in D.C. which the Mellons had just built and
donated to the country, so it was in all the news headlines when
Anything Goes premiered.

(And the London NG collection, beside being atrociously overcleaned so
that all the colors are dead, is not a patch on the Prado -- nor does
it come up to the Kunsthistorisches Museum IMNSHO. Unfortunately for
the British, Charles I's art collection was sold at public auction.)

To favyear54 -- I'm sort of over London, partly because it lacks the
charm of more walkable capitals, partly because it is just too damned
expensive to enjoy and public transport is tedious. But the last time
I was there, I took the boat ride from Westminster to Greenwich, which
is a splendid (and relatively fast and entertaining) way to see a
great deal of the city. At Greenwich, don't miss the Queen's House. I
took a bus back west, but it was boring -- it went on SO long through
such unattractive neighborhoods -- take the boat roundtrip.

There's also a worthwhile boat trip UP the Thames to Hampton Court and
Windsor.

I once spent a day (when my feet were younger and better) walking up
the Thames, back and forth, using buses now and then (today I'd do it
on a bike) visiting all the Great Mansions in what used to be suburbs:
Kensington Palace, Kew Gardens, Syon House, Osterley House, Chiswick,
Ham House. All tremendously different. A view of Kew, George III's
favorite residence, an utterly unpalatial, ramshackle middle-class
residence where one can't imagine living with three or four children,
much less 12, will be a nice corrective to notions of the "tyrranical"
king.

Jean Coeur de Lapin

Matthew Winn · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 66

On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:31:58 +0000, tim@nospam.demon.co.uk (Tim Gowen)
wrote:

> I'm not sure I know what Londoners do,

Moan about anyone from out of town, mostly.

One thing I'd suggest is that when travelling around central London
it's better to walk than take the tube. You can walk between most of
the stations in under five minutes anyway, and you see a lot more.
Even a journey like Euston to Victoria takes less than an hour on
foot, and it beats staring at grubby cast iron pipes from the inside.

--
Matthew Winn
[If replying by mail remove the "r" from "urk"]

Stephen Farrow · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 473

Tim Gowen wrote:
> Ray S wrote:
>
>> The Portobello Market --- (Not sure on the status of that, they had a
>> big fire a couple weeks ago) is a fun way to waste a Saturday.
>
> The fire was at Camden Market.
>
> I'm not sure I know what Londoners do, but the markets are definitely
> part of life;

St. James Church in Piccadilly - or rather, the market in the churchyard
- is one of my favourite places to stop for coffee in London.

--

Stephen

It was wartime! There was a rubber shortage. We tried painting condoms on
with gravy browning, but it wasn't a hundred percent effective.

Stephen Farrow · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 473

Matthew Winn wrote:
> On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:31:58 +0000, tim@nospam.demon.co.uk (Tim Gowen)
> wrote:
>
>> I'm not sure I know what Londoners do,
>
> Moan about anyone from out of town, mostly.
>
> One thing I'd suggest is that when travelling around central London
> it's better to walk than take the tube. You can walk between most of
> the stations in under five minutes anyway, and you see a lot more.
> Even a journey like Euston to Victoria takes less than an hour on
> foot, and it beats staring at grubby cast iron pipes from the inside.
>

Or at least take buses rather than the tube in central London - the bus
system, these days, is far easier to use than it used to be, buses are
generally very frequent in central London (many lines run every 4-8
minutes), and they're rather faster since the introduction of the
congestion charge.

When using public transport of any kind in London, buy an Oyster card or
a travelcard (day/period pass). DO NOT pay cash fares - they're set
prohibitively high to encourage people to use Oyster cards and passes (a
single tube journey in Zone 1 is currently £4.00).

--

Stephen

I just don't know, I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested.
Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy? Right old misery? Life and Soul?
Right-handed? Left-handed? A Gambler? A Fighter? A coward? A traitor? A
liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence I've certainly
got a gob!

Stephen Farrow · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 473

samn wrote:
> On 24 Feb, 23:42, favyear54 wrote:
>> Hi there,
>> I'm a long time lurker, and sometimes poster here, and hope to pick
>> the brains of the collective group. I'm going to be taking a 3 week
>> workshop this summer at the Globe in London. I'm so excited, but
>> really want to know about what to do and see in London. I was there
>> 30 years ago as a college student, so I've been to the Tower, and
>> Dicken's home, and the original Madame Tussands (sp?) so I'd really
>> like to see the city and the area "like the natives".
>>
>> So any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
>> Thanks.
>> F
>
> Here's a shameless plug for my neck of the woods: Richmond,
> Surrey. Smile

I'd definitely recommend visiting this part of southwest
> London if you've never been here before. We've got the river, Kew
> Gardens, Richmond Park, Richmond Theatre, some very nice restaurants,
> and a fantastic view from Richmond Hill! (Also within the borough is
> the London Wetlands Centre in Barnes.) It's fairly easy to get to
> Richmond from Central London, and I'd suggest a day's outing,
> especially if you'll be in London in the summer.

I second the recommendation for Richmond, a place I like very much; I'd
also suggest, actually, that you try and get a little further out of
London at least once, if possible. Windsor's an easy place to get to for
a day trip, the castle is stunning and Eton (right next to one of
Windsor's two railway stations) is a very pleasant place to waste an
afternoon.

--

Stephen

I just snogged Madame de Pompadour!

Marinus · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 7

"Stephen Farrow" schreef in bericht $dvv$1@news.datemas.de...
> Matthew Winn wrote:
>> On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:31:58 +0000, tim@nospam.demon.co.uk (Tim Gowen)
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I'm not sure I know what Londoners do,
>>
>> Moan about anyone from out of town, mostly.
>>
>> One thing I'd suggest is that when travelling around central London
>> it's better to walk than take the tube. You can walk between most of
>> the stations in under five minutes anyway, and you see a lot more.
>> Even a journey like Euston to Victoria takes less than an hour on
>> foot, and it beats staring at grubby cast iron pipes from the inside.
>>
>
> Or at least take buses rather than the tube in central London - the bus
> system, these days, is far easier to use than it used to be, buses are
> generally very frequent in central London (many lines run every 4-8
> minutes), and they're rather faster since the introduction of the
> congestion charge.

But avoid Oxford street when traffic is heavy. Or hop off the bus and walk,
then hop on a bus again when you're at the end. (We stayed in the bus and it
took us more than half an hour to get from the Dominion Theatre to the other
end of Oxford Street)

Marinus

Ray S · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 120

Tim Gowen wrote:
> Ray S wrote:
>
>> The Portobello Market --- (Not sure on the status of that, they had a
>> big fire a couple weeks ago) is a fun way to waste a Saturday.
>
> The fire was at Camden Market.

Ooops, sorry, wrong market. In the States, the term that would invoke
the proper visual is Flea Market.

Harlett O'Dowd · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 115

On Feb 26, 9:04 pm, atsarisb...@hotmail.com wrote:

> I hate to tell you this, Harlett, but the National Gallery in "You're
> the Top" is the one in D.C. which the Mellons had just built and
> donated to the country, so it was in all the news headlines when
> Anything Goes premiered.

Feh!

If that's the case, I hope Porter meant it as a joke.

> (And the London NG collection, beside being atrociously overcleaned so
> that all the colors are dead, is not a patch on the Prado -- nor does
> it come up to the Kunsthistorisches Museum IMNSHO. Unfortunately for
> the British, Charles I's art collection was sold at public auction.)

I've not been to the Prado but the Kunsthistorisches Museum, while
nice, did not impress me as much as the London NG. Perhaps my
expectations were higher in Vienna and lower in London.

In fairness, I am probably not the most typical art gallery patron. My
main areas of artistic interest is the Italian rennaissance and French
impressionism/post-impressionism. In particular, work from 1700-1850
and post-WWII generally bores me to tears.

The I found the NG's renaissance collection to be, overall, the best
I've encountered outside of Italy and the impressionists, with the
possible exception of the Paris D'Orsay and the Barnes in
Philadelphia, just about the best ever. I found the overall scope of
the NG collection from the renaissance to the present day to be a
wonderful *overall* collection, offering one a fairly comprehensive,
easy to digest timeline from 1500 or so to the present.

And it's been a few years, but I did not notice the NG's collection to
have been scrubbed any worse than any collection I've encountered. Was
this a recent calamity? And, as a point of reference, would you find
the NG cleaning to be worse than, say, the Sistine Chapel?

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