LONDON: CITYBREAK SPECIAL
LET’S face it! You either love London or loathe it… When working in the capital or just flying over for a business meeting I usually can’t wait to catch the flight back to Belfast – but as a tourist I could easily spend a month there!
And now with the city until recently virtually out of bounds to tourist visitors due to the coronavirus I am missing it even more….its museums, its beautiful buildings, its international feel, the buzz you get from just being there and even travelling around on the overcrowded claustrophobic Tube! Now I just can’t wait to get back…
It is one of the great sightseeing cities of the world and you have to be prepared to battle the tourist hordes from all parts of the planet and accept that you must pay extortionate prices for things as basic as a cup of coffee.
The serious effect on your wallet or purse has to be accepted as part of the necessary collateral damage of visiting the capital.
Every time I visit London I am amazed not only at the number of the new attractions but at the prices they routinely ask – and get – from tourists to pay for the pleasure of coming through their doors.
It’s not uncommon for a major attraction to be asking £35 a pop for a full adult ticket, though to be fair most of them offer a lot more than just a quick walk-through visit. Usually there is enough to keep you occupied for half a day! But there are very few of the major worthwhile commercial tourist attractions asking less than £20.
One of my favourites is the London Aquarium, which gets better every time I see it. It puts all similar such attractions in the UK and Europe in the shade, and is situated right in the middle of the city beside the London Eye and the London Dungeon. It is one attraction I definitely don’t mind putting my hand deep into my pocket for, but maybe that’s because I’m a fish-keeper myself and an angler!
Most recognisable outline on the London horizon now of course is the London Eye which enables visitors to get an unforgettable bird’s eye view of the skyline, while The Shard skyscraper, just a short distance away in Southwark, is the tallest building in western Europe.
An alternative to The Shard is the Sky Garden, just a short distance away across the Thames with a restaurant at the top of another skyscraper (Monument tube station). Last summer we were able to get complimentary entry by booking online and opting for the first tour of the day.
However, don’t forget that London’s major museums are all still free, and incredible places you could spend a whole day in. Indeed they could take up all your time in your tourist visit to London.
They usually politely ask for a £5 donation towards their upkeep, but in my experience this is generally ignored by visitors who expect museums to be free as of right!
So let’s start with my favourite, the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, right beside the tube station of the same name. The big problem with the NHM is getting in…. queueing for an hour or more is not uncommon, so seek advice from someone who knows like your hotel concierge, so that you can time your visit to take advantage of when it is quietest. Late afternoon or first thing in the morning is best, avoid between 11.00 and 1.00 especially, and the entrance on Exhibition Road, not the front on Cromwell Road, is best and quickest. The Blue Whale is always a big draw for families, but the minerals gallery which includes meteorites and features our own Giants Causeway, is spellbinding.
Nearby the Victoria and Albert can also get very busy, especially the fashion section, although the queues to get in are nothing like its neighbour across the road,the NHM. Best times to visit are first thing in the mornings on weekdays – again avoid the weekends.
The third big museum in South Ken is The Science Museum which can be a heaving mass of people with lots of kids vying with each other to try out the hands- on exhibits. Again South Kensington is the nearest tube station.
The British Museum can be acccessed from Russell Square tube, and you could easily spend a whole day there if you can manage to stay on your feet. Is there anything more tiring than walking round museums and exhibitions?
Not far away is St Paul’s Cathedral, a 20-minute walk or so, and in the same area is the Museum of London, which features the founding of the city, momentous events like the Black Death and the the Great Fire, and the Suffragette movement. St Paul’s however is NOT a free attraction, but worth the fee, especially if you’ve got a head for heights and want to get up close and personal with Sir Christopher Wren’s famous architectural wonder, the Dome.
I wasn’t able to take in the Imperial War Museum this time round and regretted my omission. It’s quite central, just a few minutes walk from the London Eye and Westminster bridge – with Lambeth North/Elephant and Castle the nearest underground stations.
So roll on the end of travel restrictions and at least the continued easing of social distancing so we can all enjoy a visit to London again….
Brian Ogle
The 'Travel' Life of Brian 