View Full Version : London
the tokai
05-10-2005, 21:27
I was listening to the song streets of london just now and suddenly I wanted to go to London again really badly. And then I realised that it wasn't going to happen any time soon :cry: .
So any of you guys ever been to Londen? Any good stories? Funny experiences?
two words and a smiley: London Transport :jawdrop:
I was born in London. A month later there was a hurricane which took out all the electricity and left my parents stranded with me at the top of a skyscraper with no lifts, electricity or water. They didn't even know what had happened because of the wind direction and height...
TonkaToys
05-11-2005, 13:59
Work here mate, new experiences everyday! Mainly involving booze, cycling, footie and birds.
Hmmm London. Ministry of sound: awesome. Prices: horrible. Women: as easy but ugly. Lots of cabs, lot's of expensive cars. Every street has a macdonals burger king and kentucky fried chicken. All in all a pretty uneventfull city.
Ja'chyra
05-11-2005, 14:59
I hate London.
Gregoshi
05-11-2005, 16:14
I was on a business trip to London for about 5 days. It was mostly work, but we wrapped up the business early, which left me with 10 glorious hours to explore the city on my own. So I bought a "disposable" camera and did a 10 hour, whirl-wind walking circuit around London, stopping only for a few minutes at each place so I could take in as much as possible. My comments:
1) I swear I could feel the history of the place. In Philadelphia, our "old" stuff only goes back to the 1600-1700's.
2) Pictures do not do justice to many of the buildings. I was amazed how the gold trim on Big Ben and other buildings seemed to blaze in the sun. Pictures just don't capture that.
3) I was eating up the history of the city but lost it to uncontrolled chills running up my spine when I saw the statue of Richard the Lionhearted in the parking lot of the Parliment building.
4) Semi-amusing event: every so often I would stop to check the city map to see what was ahead and plan my route. I was disappointed (but got a little chuckle) when I realized I had walked right by 10 Downing Street and didn't even notice it. That is something you can't do with the White House. To be fair, I was on the opposite side of the street when I passed it. It was delightful and amazing that the Prime Minister can live in something so easily overlooked.
5) There was a cricket match on the "tellie" ... all week long I think. :laugh4:
6) "Mind the Gap!"
7) A McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese means nothing in London. The "Quarter Pound" is neither its weight, nor, alas, its price. ~;)
8) Everyone, and I mean everyone, had a cell phone glued to their ear and this was 1998-1999. Here in Philadelphia area we are only now approaching the same level of cell phone use.
I had a great 10 hours in London and I hope to go back some day and spend a little more quality time with the city.
English assassin
05-11-2005, 17:21
Small peice of advice I got from a surveyor friend: look up. The store fronts look the same but the buildings above differ. I've lived in London 12 years but I am always seeing new stuff, even if its only something like an old advert for a Victorian hat factory painted on a building down an alley in Soho.
Also, walk places. Its a pretty easy city to walk in and you will see a lot more.
Under NO circumstances go to Madam Tussaurds or Buckingham palace. As a North Londoner it pains me to say it but a walk along the south bank from say tate Modern downstream takes you past lots of interesting places.
Get yourself into a proper London pub. try the george http://www.pubs.com/georse1.htm, a gin palace like the Viaduct tavern http://www.pubs.com/viadec1.htm, (meant to be haunted too) or something a bit more modern (but only just) in the Black friar http://www.pubs.com/blacec4.htm
Ah, pubs. London must be the pub capital of the world.
Craterus
05-11-2005, 21:43
I live near London, been quite a few times. Both my parents work there.
Nothing that great has happened in my experiences.
TonkaToys
05-12-2005, 08:49
Hmmm London. Ministry of sound: awesome. Prices: horrible. Women: as easy but ugly. Lots of cabs, lot's of expensive cars. Every street has a macdonals burger king and kentucky fried chicken. All in all a pretty uneventfull city.
~:cool: Take your shades off man...
Ministry of Sound is so passe. Check out the new clubs that open every month. I suggest you try Heaven ~D
Prices: up to you how much you spend, if you hang around the touristy areas you get the touristy prices.
Get on a double decker bus and cruise through the streets in summer to see some beautiful women.
If you are looking for MacDonalds, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken then you will find them. If you are looking for well priced international cuisine you can find it, if you are looking for Michelin star restaurants you can find it.
Cabs and cars... I agree, too many cars.
Byzantine Prince
05-12-2005, 09:06
How much is a beer at reasonably good pub out there?
Ja'chyra
05-12-2005, 10:19
If I remeber right it about £2.50 upwards, so, that's about $4000 canadian.
Byzantine Prince
05-12-2005, 10:28
More like 5-6 dollars CND, which is abysmal. I'de rather drink at home with 1.20 a bottle of Heinekken or some good Belgian beer. Jesus that's expensive.
English assassin
05-12-2005, 10:45
Its London. You wants cheap, you can find cheap. You wants classy, we will do you classy. You wants history, modern, lively, quiet, visceral, intellectual, we've got it. But like all pros everywhere, you pay her or she doesn't know you.
If you want it, and you can't find it in London, I'm telling you, give up, because it doesn't exist.
You don't get that sitting at home with some cans from the off licence.
Byzantine Prince
05-12-2005, 10:52
It's got to be be pretty classy to be worth that much, and the women and people better be classy too. I just have to wait till I get a desent paycheck before I delve into that kind of thing though. ~:cheers:
King Edward
05-12-2005, 10:54
I love London, It has everything for everyone! the Tube is a great way to travel round, Leciester square is cool, the Lights at Picadilly, the shops on Regent street (As well as a nice little pub of the the right as you enter regent street form Picadilly called the Glass blower! i missed a flight home once because of that pub!)
But the Number 1 all time beggest and bestest reason why London is the greatest City in the world??? Hamleys!!! The best Toy shop in the world! Seven Floors of non stop toys!!!!!
Ahem! Eddy rember you going to be 24 next month! oh sorry........... *runs of to play Star wars Lego* ~:)
InsaneApache
05-12-2005, 12:15
I aint been to london in a few years but I had a great New Years down there in the late '80s......yeah the pubs are good.
A thing I noticed was a kind of low level rumble that ran until about 3 am and then started again about 5 am.....it was either the traffic or that dodgy curry I had down Southhall ~;)
~:cool: Take your shades off man...
Ministry of Sound is so passe. Check out the new clubs that open every month. I suggest you try Heaven ~D
Prices: up to you how much you spend, if you hang around the touristy areas you get the touristy prices.
Get on a double decker bus and cruise through the streets in summer to see some beautiful women.
If you are looking for MacDonalds, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken then you will find them. If you are looking for well priced international cuisine you can find it, if you are looking for Michelin star restaurants you can find it.
Cabs and cars... I agree, too many cars.
It's no Amsterdam ~:cool:
i didn't like London, but then again i was there in the winter.
thanks,
dizzy
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