Climbing Moss

With the sun finally making an appearance this week in London it seems the perfect time to start getting out there and experiencing this great city. 

I like hearing other people’s ideas and thoughts on this great city, of places and things to do and it got me thinking. If I were to guide a visitor around ‘Ol’ London Town’ where would I take them? 

I’m a born and bred Londoner, born within the sound of St. Mary Le Bow’s bells.

This in itself confuses many a person, as the Bow Bells does not refer to Bromley by Bow, out East of London, but right in the centre, inside the city itself. St Mary’s is on Cheapside, which runs between The Bank and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

So yes I was born in Bart’s Hospital, one of the oldest and nicest hospital’s in London, now sitting opposite Smithfield Meat Market (not the place for Veggies like Bob, but seriously cool, at 3am).

I grew up in a Victorian Terrace house much like this…

Now some posts give ideas that are good, some are great and most are bloody expensive!  But there are cheaper ways around and hopefully this will give you some ideas.

To start, you can always get a black cab, London’s Public Carriage Licensed Taxi drivers have to pass an extensive exam, that (these days) takes about 4-5 years to complete, in theory, by the time they finish ‘The Knowledge’ and get their green badge, they should know, ever, hotel, block of flats, street, pub, government building and every short cut, in London, thus be able to get you from A-to-B in a flash.

The reality seems that they get a badge, buy a Sat Nav, forget everything they just learnt and then spend their entire lives shouting ‘Fuck Off’ to every other road user And Trying to hit all cyclists. 

So instead Get on another Iconic symbol of London, a Double Decker. If you catch the number 11 Bus from Liverpool St to Fulham Broadway and see all the sights worth seeing and save yourself about £20 on one of those open top tourist buses – plus ‘open top bus’ in London? It rains every other day  on average in London you’re just going to end up cold and wet and you’ll save yourself about £40 from if you got in the cab.

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An arty Idea

So where to go? Well a great idea would be  Tate Modern an incredible building to start with, tons of incredible art from Warhol to Pollack, Hirst and Whiteread all for free and all inspiring to any creative soul.

Classical and Modern London

Then when you come out, go across the ‘wobbly bridge’ (The Millennium bridge) when first build swayed so much it made people sea sick and got the nickname. Also a little fun thing with this bridge is in the rain you can slide over the metal surface like a kid doing ‘skids’! 

At the other end of the bridge is St. Peter’s Hill a pedestrianised road made up of steps in small flights to cure to rise from the river. If you are lucky to time this when the skateboarders are in situ (usually Saturday or during school holidays), you’ll get to see some true mobile artists practicing tricks, jumps and spectacular crashes over the steps.

Then you have a great view of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Now to get inside this beautiful building is quite expensive (about £15) but it’s kind of worth it, just for the whispering gallery.

A marvel of architectural engineering, so called because if you sit at one side of the gallery and a friend sits directly opposite and you whisper against the wall, they will be able to hear your words.

The new shopping centre next door (One New Change) offers a pleasant shopping experience, but mostly a great view of the Cathedral too from the roof of the rather nice Madison Restaurant 

A ‘Bloody’ Expensive idea 

Is to go into the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels, sure they are impressive but it will cost you the price of one of the diamonds just to see them (£25pp). A cheaper idea is to head to Hatton Garden and look in the window of the jewellery Shops, or visit Tiffany’s on Bond St, or Theo Fennell in the Fulham Rd, these are free to enter and you could even buy something you will treasure rather than paying £7 for a ballpoint pen in the tower.

Just a little point for all you tourists (and mostly Americans!) Tower Bridge is the one with the draw bridge and the blue towers, this is not London Bridge, that is the next one along the river, the more ordinary one! Fergie didn’t know what she was singing about!

South London

I also don’t go ‘Souf’ of the river too often – being a North London boy, I can’t get the visa!!- but Clapham Common and Clapham High Street are great. I spent a lot of time there when I was a photographer’s assistant many years ago. These days the nightlife there is great, tons of bars and clubs, worth the travel once in a while (but I wouldn’t want to live there! – It’s too far south!)

A good crush

Over to the West you of course have Harrods, you can’t visit London without going there, but seriously (many will disagree with me here), but you have to visit the week before Christmas if you go at any time! It is packed, so busy in the front foyer that you get the feeling of being sheep on market day! I love crowds and this is one crowd you need to experience, it’s crazy, all these people thinking they are going to get the greatest shopping experience of their lives in one store, well it won’t be but it’s one to tick off the list!

Better is Harvey Nichols (Harvey Nick’s to the locals), much more the sedate, stylish shopping experience and with their own loyalty scheme a better all round shop.

While you are over this way the Fulham Rd is a delight and a must for food and exclusive shopping, but take your credit cards because it can get expensive. 

The lost Camden

Camden Lock and High St used to be a wonder of London, the place where all the city’s freaks went shopping, then Camden Council got wind that tourists were travelling there to experience this ‘Alternative’ Culture and they thought to ‘enhance’ the place. Now it is dead, no freaks (saved those charging for photos) and filled with chain clothes shops and stalls selling the same crappy, chavy t-shirts, junk and tat. It’s really not worth the visit any longer.

Back to the tube station Stairs! 

So Gospel Oak or more accurately Hampstead Heath is an absolute must for any trip to London. The ‘village of Hampstead’ itself is lovely and awfully posh! But if you want the Heath and you do. Get a number 290 bus to Kenwood House, walk down the to the wonderful house, around the formal garden and around to the café at the rear, have an really expensive cup tea here and then head down and into the woods to ‘get lost’,

Eventually you will end up out the other side at Gospel Oak or Primrose Hill (hopefully). Great with a dog and kids (of any age). 

Some to recommend are Regent’s Park, St. James’ Park, Highbury Fields, Holland Park, Victoria Embankment Park, Blackheath and of course Hampstead Heath. 

Free Lunch

A great freebie is the Hare Krishna free lunch at UCL every day at 1pm. A lovely peaceful offering from a group of lovely people, you may also see the Krishna musicians dancing, singing and playing music along Oxford St most days, listen for the bells and drums and go say hello, maybe even join in.

The timely Heart Of London

The Greenwich Observatory and Meridian is where time begins and ends – No seriously, it is where you get the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) by which all time in the world is marked. Everyday at midday the ball at the top of the observatory drops (rather slowly – I always felt it should drop with a thump!) to mark the exact time to set your watches by.

The surrounding park is really one of the best in London with great view of the South Downs and down to the south coast.