street preformers!!
by marimar_72
In London you will find street preformers all over,,hehehe,,I kinda enjoy them :D so do my kids! Here is a picture of one predending to be a tin man!!! he moves only when you tip him,,it`s funny!
For a minute my 5 years old daughter swore that he`s a statue!!
visit the London Dungeon (not...
by malibu
visit the London Dungeon (not sure if this is correct), a very spooky place. My friends and I managed to see the changing of the guards from the best possible position: inside the gates in front of Buck Palace. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but one of my friends couldn't resist and I nearly wet my pants.
An entertaining Misnomer
by pedersdottir
No convent is to be seen, no garden could possibly spring up between the the tightly pieced cobblestones. The name Covent Garden is all that is left to remind us of what once stood on this square.
No longer the vast fruit and veggie market of days gone by, the Garden still offers produce from colorful stalls like the one pictured. Other market stalls sell crafts, artisan goods or coffee. While away a lazy afternoon, listening to the opera singer or string quartet in the lower courtyard. Take in the juggler performing his act precariously perched on a unicycle at 'center stage', or the mimes acting up in front of the actor's church of St. Paul's behind the square. Adjacent shops are both high fashion (near the Opera House) or bargain basement (next to the Transport Museum). A smattering of everything that London has to offer is found right here, off Wellington and Maiden Lane.
Tipping in restaurants
by St_Vincent
The question of whether to leave a tip in restaurants, and how much, can be confusing, even to a Londoner. Traditionally England hasn’t had a culture of tipping, except perhaps barbers/hairdressers and taxi drivers. However as continental influences have become more prevalent, especially in Central London, the situation has changed and that’s what causes the confusion.
In many places a 12.5% service charge will be shown on the menu and added to the bill. You should pay this unless you have had really bad service in which case you are entitled to ask for it to be reduced or removed. You do not need to pay anything in addition to this 12.5%, in some unscrupulous places they add the service charge then expect a traditional tip as well.
If no service charge is shown or added then you can decide if you want to tip and 10% is a reasonable amount. Rounding up is OK as well but I guess anything less than £2 might be seen as insulting, it depends on the type of restaurant really.
One thing to note is that tipping in pubs and bars for drinks and food is not necessary. Some bars have an annoying habit of giving you your change back on a small tray after serving you with a round of drinks as if to infer you should leave it as a tip. This annoys most Londoners who as a matter of principle will take every penny of the change back.
I much prefer the culture in the US where I know that tipping is the convention but never feel that it is demanded, i.e. there are no uncomfortable times when you feel pressured into tipping by the attitude or posturing of the waiting staff . I think the main difference is that the levels of service I have encountered in the US have never made me want to withhold a tip whereas in London some waiting staff seem to think they can provide the most slovenly sullen service and still think they have a right to be tipped. Don’t be bullied or intimidated by this attitude.
The best map in the world
by sourbugger
If you are venturing anywhere beyond the main tourist sights, pehaps visiting friends or relatives, or some obsure shop then you will need one vital piece of equipment - the A-Z map of London. No other map will do, every Londoner owns one and even cab drivers (who are supposed to know every road within a six mile radius of Charing Cross) have been known to sneek a crafty peek when stumped.
It is very easy to read and use. Every newsagent sells them.