St. Paul's Cathedral
by tvor
Favourite thing to do while sightseeing... it all depends on what each person's interest is. I think the best thing to do for a first visit is take an open top bus tour to get the lay of the land. St. Paul's Cathedral is pretty impressive as is the Tower of London. I don't recall that there was an entrance fee to the main cathedral the first time I went in 1993 but there is one now. 2007 prices are about £9.50 for an adult with seniors and childrens discounts available. This included entrance to the crypt where the gift shop and cafe are located. I'm not sure if the admission price includes being able to climb the dome. No photography allowed inside the cathedral either.
Cathedral website The first big tourist attraction i visited on my first visit to London was St. Paul's cathedral. I was tired, still jet lagged and wasn't entirely sure if i was going in the right direction because the street name changed. I came around a bend in the road and there looming high above me was the famous dome of St. Paul's. It literally took my breath away! I didn't get to see as much of it as i wanted that first time because i wasn't feeling my best. The next time i went to London, my friend and i climbed up to the top of the dome. What a view!!! This photo was taken on my first trip, August 1993.
ADMIRALTY HOUSE
by kris-t
between The Mall and DOWNING ST
Admiralty House in London was designed in the 1770s. It was the official residence of the First Lord of the Admiralty until 1964, and has also been home to several British Prime Ministers when 10 Downing St. was being renovated. Famous Winston Churchill lived here while serving as First Lord of the Admiralty. It now contains government function rooms and few ministerial flats.
Admiralty House is part of a complex of former Admiralty buildings and is sometimes confused with the more visible Ripley Building (also known as the Old Admiralty) or the Admiralty Extension. Admiralty House itself is a small three storey building of yellow brick. The front of the house faces Whitehall but it does not have its own main entrance as it is entered through the Ripley Building.
Not miss the IMAX...
by husain
Not miss the IMAX experience!...at 'britain's biggest screen'. at the BFI. If you are a film lover whether you are familiar with imax or not,... here's where you need to head! i managed to catch a screening of 'cyberworld'. 3D animation... awesome!! also... the museum of the moving image-- MOMI is pretty close by...
IMAX explained... IMAX film is ten times the size of traditional 35mm film. Films are projected on to enormous screens, so wide that the viewer's peripheral vision is completely filled. This gives them the impression that they are part of the film, literally 'in the picture '.
Location: at the south bank... Address: bfi London IMAX Cinema 1 Charlie Chaplin Walk South Bank Waterloo London SE1 8XR
How to behave like a Londoner on the Tube
by toonsarah
Here are some (slightly tongue-in-cheek) rules for how to appear like a Londoner while travelling on the city's underground train network:
~ Always call it the Tube, never the Underground or Subway
~ Don't talk to strangers - this isn't a safety tip, it would just expose you as the tourist you are - Londoners NEVER talk to each other on the tube unless there's some sort of emergency. Ideally you shouldn't even talk to the person you're with ;)
~ Stand on the right on the escalator - there are signs about this everywhere and unlike many other transport systems I've been on, here people usually stick to this rule. If you insist on standing on the left, prepare to be flattened by a commuter in a hurry!
~ Please don't stop dead in front of either a) the entrance, b) the automatic gate c) the top of the escalator or d) the map strategically placed at the entrance to a passage - see above re commuter in a hurry ;)
~ Talking of maps, if you want to blend in look at it before you travel and memorise your route - getting a map out is a sure give-away sign of a tourist
~ If you pick up one of the free papers that are given out during the morning and evening rush hours make sure you leave it for someone else to enjoy after you
As I said, all this is intended mainly in fun, but if you go along with some of these suggestions at least you should find your journey pleasanter. My final tip is a serious one though:
~ Unless you can't avoid it, don't travel in the rush hour - you'll be trampled on, squashed and will surely wish you'd stayed at home. Leave the rest of us to suffer and come out a bit later when we're all stuck in offices, shops etc :)
There are plenty more culture...
by yeah_baby
There are plenty more culture in this place. Stroll along South Street, Southall Market and you could be in any sub-continental bazaar. Spaniards are all over the ever-popular Brindisi (Borough Market, Bankside, SE1, 8772 1600): watch as traditional dishes are prepared, then try to make a selection from piles of sausage, peppers, cheeses, hams and oils. Green Lanes, N4 services a large Turkish community, with dozens of speciality shops and supermarkets open daily.
White Tower
A second Cockney expert
Neo-Romanesque architecture
JumpingNorman in London on September 11, 2009
