Doing London things you've never done

[mod]

Lived in London all my life, never seen the mousetrap. Tonight that changes. What London thing did it take you years to get round to doing?

Going to St Paul’s and specifically the top where’s there’s a circular (obviously) outdoor balcony you can walk around. amazing views but you the history of where you are is almost tangible, i’ve done this twice. once i was completely alone and it was wonderful.

The graffiti tunnel in waterloo is brilliant and if you go through the tunnel towards Lower Marsh, go to the Scooter Café for a coffee or beer (oh yeah you don’t drink. very very special place i’ve been frequenting since i was about 20 when it was basically a vintage scooter show room with an old skool italian coffee making machine and it slowly morphed into a beautiful cafe / bar over 10years and the scooter history is very evident.

that last one is a secret so don’t tell anyone.

Sir John Soane's Museum is a must see. ok Lincoln’s Inn field. free too (or used to be)

Homepage | Sir John Soane's Museum

www.soane.org

The Horniman (stop giggling at the back please) museum in Dulwich. whilst in that area go to peckham and Frank’s Place. a bar set up on the top floor of a (then) unused multi story carpark. probably the best vista of london you’ll ever see. from battersea power station on your left to the O2 in Greenwich to your right.
since i moved out of the area the other floors are now in use buy lots of trendy bars and restaurants.

Franks Cafe at Bold Tendencies (@frankspeckham) • Instagram photos and videos

28K Followers, 203 Following, 349 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Franks Cafe at Bold Tendencies (@frankspeckham)

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if you are a football man (can’t remember but think you are arsenal ) you have to visit craven cottage once in your life a get to it via a walk over putney bridge and through bishops park. The you’ll come to the listed stevenage road stand exterior and actual cottage. It’s all very unique and the new riverside stand is a sight to behold. fucking massive and very modern but doesn’t look out of place at all. You might thing i’m bias being a fulham fan but it’s a lot of fans from other clubs fav away day. getting there via hammersmith do so along the river and not the fulham palace road.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I've just stepped on to Wormwood Scrubs for the first time ever.

I had to read that a couple of times...

 

[Silas Loom]

There's fuck all there except a (very pretty art deco) tube station and some posh houses (footballers and a Daily Mail columnist)

The houses in Cockfosters aren’t particularly posh. The footballers and moguls live up the road in Hadley Wood, although they shop and eat in Cockfosters, which is why the many restaurants and delis on its long, busy main drag are a cut above those in Southgate or Oakwood.

 

[klang]

The houses in Cockfosters aren’t particularly posh. The footballers and moguls live up the road in Hadley Wood, although they shop and eat in Cockfosters, which is why the many restaurants and delis on its long, busy main drag are a cut above those in Southgate or Oakwood.

There's a greek pattisery I wish I could afford to frequent more often.
And an audiophile shop I don't wish to frequent at all.

 

[Silas Loom]

There's a greek pattisery I wish I could afford to frequent more often.
And an audiophile shop I don't wish to frequent at all.

Where’s the Greek patisserie? It would have to be good to give Wiltons a run for its money.

 

[klang]

Where’s the Greek patisserie? It would have to be good to give Wiltons a run for its money.

On the strip just south of cockfosters, few doors down from Sainsbury's.
Can find out exact address next week if it's important.

 

[klang]

There you go

 

[klang]

5 heddon court parade

 

[Silas Loom]

View attachment 446670
There you go

Looks nice. I will send a runner to investigate further.

Do you live in these parts then?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I still haven't been to cockfosters.

i'm still not entirely convinced that it isn't really a figment of someone's imagination

 

[klang]

Looks nice. I will send a runner to investigate further.

Do you live in these parts then?

Labouring, a few times a month

 

[Silas Loom]

I still haven't been to cockfosters.

i'm still not entirely convinced that it isn't really a figment of someone's imagination

As a near resident, how can I convince you otherwise?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

As a near resident, how can I convince you otherwise?

you can't. you might be in on the conspiracy

 

[klang]

If you go north from there towards the old watchtower and get up the hills you get breathtaking views all the way to canary wharf.
The autumnal leave display will be stunning in the very near future

 

[hash tag]

if you are a football man (can’t remember but think you are arsenal ) you have to visit craven cottage once in your life a get to it via a walk over putney bridge and through bishops park

Ive been told the told the towpath alongside the ground is now open

 

[klang]

you can't. you might be in on the conspiracy

Fostering the cockspiracy

 

[klang]

Ive been told the told the towpath alongside the ground is now open

Gillespie walk from the stadium to fin park is a bit of a hidden treasure

 

[hash tag]

Gillespie walk from the stadium to fin park is a bit of a hidden treasure

As is Fulham palace itself

 

[danski]

 

[hash tag]

In fact just exiting Fulham palace road

 

[Numbers]

Lived in London all my life, never seen the mousetrap. Tonight that changes. What London thing did it take you years to get round to doing?

What was it like, if you don’t mind me asking. We’re off to see it tomorrow.

e2a: should have read the thread as I see you replied about it, soz.

 

[Chz]

Museum of Docklands. Not going to set the heart afire, but an interesting enough day out for us even with some non-English speakers in tow.
Even if it was really a "well, the Museum of London is still shut" thing.

 

[quimcunx]

A while back I had a random day off and finally went to the tower of london. I liked it. I enjoyed thinking Thomas Cromwell probably stood here waxing lyrical to some poor unfortunate before his own turn Waiting the chop Spent quite a while there then a bit extra enjoying the wildflower garden in the moat.

However I took one look at the queue for the crown jewels and decided nope. I do want to see them. Clearly one needs to book a ticket for opening time, turn up early and sprint over as soon as the gates open, elbows all the way.

 

[hash tag]

A while back I had a random day off and finally went to the tower of London

That must have cost a bit

 

[quimcunx]

That must have cost a bit

£34.80 apparently. But spread that over the 34.8 years I've lived here it's only a quid a year.

 

[hash tag]

£34.80 to see something that is "ours"

 

[spitfire]

£1 if you are a resident of Tower Hamlets.

Or on benefits apparently.

£1 tickets for a day visit to the Tower of London are available to anyone in receipt of the following:

• Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Pension Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance

You can claim £1 tickets for up to six people per household. Only one person per household needs to show supporting documents.

Tickets must be booked online in advance to guarantee entry and avoid disappointment. Visitor numbers are limited and many dates and timeslots are sold out in advance.

If you can't find £1 tickets for the date you wish to book, this date is sold out but further dates are available.

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit/tickets-and-prices/#gs.hauso7

 

[stdP]

One of the things that endeared me even more than everything else for moving to London was a list along the lines of "100 things that make you a real Londoner" that the university included in its prospectus pack; no other uni I went to visit ever included anything as fun and irreverent in their open day. To those of you who remember Kam - this was the first day we met one another, and when we spotted one another again in the same room nine months later we were both amused to discover we'd both been intrigued by the list. First year of uni we ended up doing as many of the London things as budgets would allow (which was, as it turned out, not many since it included things like cocktails at The Dorchester and afternoon tea at Fortnums. Those had to wait for another year or two).

I'm assuming I lost or threw this list away at some point, sadly. I've not been able to find it on t'internet since either - my memory says it was shoddily photocopied out of the Eeeny Stannit but it's just as likely to have come from any one of a hundred other long-forgotten publications. It would also serve as a fun snippet of history, because even that list had at least 10 of those hundreds things labelled under "things you can't actually do any more because...". I'm fairly sure one of those impossible tasks was eating a meal in the Post Office Tower - something that I did actually manage by dint of having a packed lunch in there about 15 years ago and may well become a possibility again soon if the (hilariously impractical IMHO) scheme of turning it in to a hotel goes ahead.

What was it like, if you don’t mind me asking. We’re off to see it tomorrow.

e2a: should have read the thread as I see you replied about it, soz.

Similar story for me, I've been living in London for 25+ years and only saw The Mousetrap this summer - tickets bought for me as a present following a pub convo about "London things you've never done" (because you only ever do London things when you've got friends or relations over, right?). I like the theatre, plus murder mysteries, so that was a quick win I guess. I've also managed to resist the temptation to read up on whodunnit all these years because, y'know, showbiz secret daaahling (I'm generally averse to spoilers, trailers and adverts for all forms of media though).

The play was much funnier than I thought it was going to be and the actors certainly seemed to be having a good time - I can see why it's been running so long, because it hits so many classic "stuffy British" tropes that the tourists will love, but never outright takes the piss out of its home audience. Sly winks all around.

I figured out who the murderer was before the interval though. Me and my partner had made a pact not to look it up (they're dreadful for looking stuff up and giving the plot away) and bet 50p on who'd get it right (if we were both wrong, the cat got the money) so when they were finally revealed I was accused of rampant cheatery.

 

[PTK]

£1 if you are a resident of Tower Hamlets.

Or on benefits apparently.

£1 tickets for a day visit to the Tower of London are available to anyone in receipt of the following:

• Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Pension Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance

You can claim £1 tickets for up to six people per household. Only one person per household needs to show supporting documents.

Tickets must be booked online in advance to guarantee entry and avoid disappointment. Visitor numbers are limited and many dates and timeslots are sold out in advance.

If you can't find £1 tickets for the date you wish to book, this date is sold out but further dates are available.

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit/tickets-and-prices/#gs.hauso7

Well, I must say that I am impressed. An actual proper reduction for people on benefits.

 

[Epona]

Museum of Docklands. Not going to set the heart afire, but an interesting enough day out for us even with some non-English speakers in tow.
Even if it was really a "well, the Museum of London is still shut" thing.

It's a good museum in its own right, although maybe I am more fond of it because it's largely about areas around and near where I've made my home (Canning Town) for the last 22 years.
We did an urban outing there at one point which was really good. (Me and Stig wishing we could get a beer in the mock-up of an old pub was a particularly memorable moment, but it was a really great day out with lots of urb friends including actual pubbage in Poplar afterwards)