Not quite a silver surfer yet.
Interested in technology and gadgets. Have been a photographer, tec...
Not quite a silver surfer yet.
Interested in technology and gadgets. Have been a photographer, technician, computer analyst. Enjoy a good SF novel or movie, Australian wine.
Dislike rip off companies.
Member since:26.06.2006
Reviews:21
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London - a day out
As with all my reviews, the names of the participants have been witheld to protect the innocent - me that is !!
So it's around January 2000, I'm doing contract work in Leatherhead and being paid wads of cash for my troubles.
The problem with Leatherhead is there isn't a lot to do apart from the pubs - Epsom is about the nearest place with cinemas, restaurants and theatres, but even that is quite limited.
********************* Accommodation in Leathehead: (yeah right)
Hotels :
Bookham Grange - 3 miles - In Bookham £95 per night http://www.bookham-grange.co.uk/accommodation.htm
Preston Cross - 3 miles in Little Bookham - £110 per night http://www.prestoncrosshotel.co.uk/
Ramada Guildford / Leatherhead - 5 miles - on the back road to Guildford £90 per night
Cheapest is Travel Lodge - High Street - Leatherhead £65 per night.
You will be very lucky to get hotel accomodation in Leatherhead without booking weeks in advance - this is due to the large number of contractors who work there.
A better / cheaper bet is B&B accomodation but this is difficult to find and again you need to book well in advance.
Epsom is about 6 miles from Leatherhead and has more choice. *********************
So I'm in the B&B with a few other contractors who's idea of fun is to go to the same boozer every night and get wasted - nice. A conversation arises about entertainment and eventually one of the chaps (V) and I decide to have a day out in London ( a Saturday obviously, we are after all contractors who would sooner loose a kidney that miss out on being paid).
As my mate's wife and kids are visiting soon we decide to make it a 'family' day out (can't win em all) and start to make plans - V - a bit of a compulsive planner has it all in hand.
Being unfamiliar with London, I am quite happy to let him take charge - means I can concentrate on having a good time and not worry about getting lost when the alcohol takes control as it most certainly will.
Strangely (for me that is), I offered to pay for the day as a treat. V is one of those folk who always insist on fair shares, but I talked him round eventually (let me say that again 'I talked him round' . Need to look in a mirror and slap myself.)
1 A bit of forward planning - tickets etc.
Only a day after the decision to have a day out and it has all been planned and an itinerary drawn up.
Crikey - I knew V was into that sort of thing but less than 24 hours and he's got tickets to a West End Show (at £35 each for five of us), maps of the route we should take and attractions to take
in en-route.
It would have been nice to have some input, but on viewing the itinerary, I am quite impressed. I would probably have just arranged the show and left everything else to chance.
2 Getting into London (from outside the M25).
Saturday morning around 7:30, fall out of bed and make my way to the breakfast room where V and his wife S and the two kids (both S) are already tucking in. I'd met them once before so intro's weren't needed and the first part of the itinerary had of course been missed (by me turning up at 7:45 for breakfast instead of 7:30 - wrists slapped).
Now firmly in control to the obvious annoyance of the long suffering S, but to the sheer amusement of the two smaller S's, V trailed us all out to the car - mine that is, his would be rather uncomfortable with five in it.
It appears that I am now a temporary family member and must tow the line like everyone else (bollocks - the only one who thought V was in charge of anything was V himself - a grin to S and the little S's showed them I was up for whatever mischief presented itself)
Our place of work was just next to Leatherhead Station so parking was free for us (me). If you are getting a train into London, there are usually parking spaces at most stations but these are charged - these days you get a sticker with your train ticket and display it in your car (in Leatherhead - not sure about other stations).
V bought the train tickets (see how long the 'me paying' lasted), which could be used on buses and tubes for up to 24 hours - they cost around £5.00 each in 2000. Prices for such tickets will obviously have risen by now.
He decided to keep them in his possession and only dish them out when we all approached ticket barriers - embarrasing or what - still all adds to the amusement for the little S's!
The train journey was uneventful and we made the trip to Victoria Station in around 45 minutes. The normal time for that sort of distance is around 25 minutes - you have to select your train carefully, some stop at a lot of stations on the way.
3 First stop Betty's place - nice gardens.
So into Victoria Station and straight onto the underground - line astern - with V in front and little old me taking up the rear.
Getting a bit miffed with the ticket thing where we all queue up to get our tickets to pass through the barriers - but able to set the kids giggling by doing a silly walk and saluting when it's my turn.
One stop only and we are at St James Park - not being familiar with London , I accept that V knows where he's going - possibly a mistake.
Seems a bleedin long walk down the side of Buck House (you can tell by the big wall with spikes on top) until we arrive at the front Gates. Very nice house Maa'm. My feet are now starting to twinge a bit so I find a suitable place to park it and sit down.
'You can't sit down .. You can't sit down , we have an itinerary to maintain'
Nonsense, these nice readers need to know about Buckingham Palace. ********************* Besides being the official London residence of The Queen, Buckingham Palace is also the busy administrative headquarters of the monarchy and has probably the most famous and easily recognisable façade of any building in the world The Changing of the Guard takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer, every other day in winter, and lasts about 45 minutes. The New Guard marches to the Palace from Wellington Barracks with a Guards band, the Old Guard hands over in a ceremony during which the sentries are changed and then returns to barracks. The New Guard then marches to St James's Palace leaving the detachment at Buckingham Palace Current prices The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace (includes an audio tour) Adult £14.00 Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £12.50 Under 17 £8.00 Under 5 Free Family £36.00 (2 adults, 3 under 17s) ********************* I'm not wearing my short trousers and haven't shaved so passing as under 17 would be a problem and the beer gut is a dead give away - we can't get in on the 2 adults and 3 under 17's rate so V decides we give it a miss - plenty of time to sit around now so we make our way to the Serpentine. About 15 minutes walk in blistering heat and we arrive - Absolutely fantastic - Swans and other waterfowl on the lake, lots of people sitting around enjoying the late spring warmth - very picturesque - must remember to charge my camera batteries next time. This is an oasis of calm in the centre of London - brilliant and absolutely free. Iced lolly each and we sit and relax for a while - all the while V is becoming more and more agitated and keeps looking at his watch. You guessed it the next item on the itinerary was rapidly approaching. So come on V where to next? - 'Why the War Rooms of course' as if it was an obvious choice. We set off again and I try not to fall in line astern as usual, we were starting to draw giggles from passers by.
On the way we pass a parade ground - a brief burst of noise from V 'this is Horse Guards , that over there is the London Eye', who am I to disagree, it probably was but we only had a few minutes at warp factor 2 to grab a butchers.
We arrived at a doorway surrounded by sandbags - this must be it.
********************* 4 Whitehall - The War Rooms. (or more accurately The Cabinet War Rooms) Entry price was about £7.00 when we went but is around £10.00 now. This is the underground headquarters of the British High Command and served as the nerve center of Britain's war effort during World War II. You get to see all the rooms preserved as they were in 1945. The Map Room The Cabinet Room Churchill's Room The Transatlantic Phone Room You get a headset with a step by step 'talk through' of the place - quite easy to lose track if you just let it run but there is a pause button so you can stop and inspect things as you proceed. One of us didn't need a pause button - guess who. Strictly keeping time with the tape he vanished leaving us sensible types to enjoy the tour at our own pace.
Surprisingly I quite enjoyed the whole thing - really atmospheric and a bit spooky in places - with sound effects and dramatic lighting.
You can't actually go into the rooms - you view them through plate glass, but great never the less.
There is the obligatory souvenir shop which you have to pass through to get out - this sells goods made in Taiwan - must be some British stuff in there as well I hope. *********************
It's now about 13:00 and we set off on foot - past Downing Street - stop and stare for a few seconds at the huge black fence and armed coppers , past The Houses of Parliament, across Westminster Bridge and towards the London Eye.
The London Eye had only been open a couple of months by then and the queues were huge - but it was an impressive sight. In a building just behind the Eye is the Aquarium - which again was chocker so we just had another rest and watched the Thames flow by for a while.
Knowing the next venue was the Rainforest Cafe with some food and drink (alcohol at last) my spirits perked up and the walk didn't seem too bad.
At the time I didn't know where it was but have since found the address 20-24 Shaftesbury Ave
The next hour should be played to Benny Hill chase music - up and down streets, stopping occasionally to look in shop windows, back and forth, in and out - muggins eventually realises that we are going over and over the same ground (really sharp like that). 'So V', I said why are we fannying around going back and forth like this. (here it comes)
'Well the itinerary doesn't have us arriving until 14:32, and we are here now anyway' !!!!!! (smee, smeeeee, smeeeeg, smeeeeeeeeegheeeeeeed) Time now 14:30.
'OK- OK lets just go in shall we'?
5 Time to eat and drink - The Rainforest Cafe. ********************* There is a reception area as you enter and a waiter/waitress in a safari outfit makes sure you have a table booked - you can just turn up I think and wait for a place in the upstairs bar.
You are then led down stairs into a very dark restaurant - way too dark for my liking but I suppose it added atmospherics to the rainforest setting.
There were apes and monkeys all over - some animated, most just static models.
As for the menu and prices - please have a look at the website http://www.therainforestcafe.co.uk/
My opinions : The food is quite ordinary but has been given some strange forresty sounding names - with descriptions of actual meal content along side.
The wine list is quite large but the wine is expensive.
An OK place but probably better for kids - despite having a full alcohol licence. ********************* We were there for quite a while - a couple of hours maybe even three. Not sure how much wine me and S knocked back but it must have been a great deal becuase V looked like he had gone catatonic - he never drinks in public and today was no different - he was in shock at the embarassment of these two people he was with, actually starting to enjoy themselves.
His wife S turned out to be a giggler - great fun - obviously going to get a talking to when we get home.
Smashing, I'm feeling well Shirazzed now - just getting to the very slight splurred sleech stage. Here comes the bill. A comic double take by me attracts V from his catatonia - he has a look at the bill and says in a dead pan delivery 'nice of you to offer to pay for today'
350.00 bleedin quid - being past the point where I could have accurately checked the bill, I just shrugged and said '2 hours overtime should cover it'. Thats the way, rub his nose in the fact that I earn much more than him.
Still £350.00 for heavens sake - mostly wine - like I said, very expensive. A good idea therefore to keep an eye on your drinking.
Being really mature now I blow a raspberry and set everyone off giggling, well except V of course.
The show we are going to see starts at 19:30 so we toddle off to Covent Garden - must be fairly close cos I don't remember how we got there.
6 Couple of hours to fill - Covent Garden. I like Covent Garden - it's full of cafes, shops, stalls, musicians, comedians, artists and people just relaxing and taking in the sights and sounds.
Fantastic - I was so uninhibited by now, I even got into some sort of interaction with a comic mime artist when I donated a couple of quid, much to the dissappointment of V but everyone else seemed amused.
7 The Lion King at the Lyceum in Wellington Street. ********************* For ticket info and show times http://www.thisistheatre.com/londonshows/lionking.html
You normally need to book well in advance to be assured of good seats. However, you can take your chances and just turn up early to register interest in cancellations - put your name down and perhaps you will be lucky.
There are always ticket touts outside most London theatres - the Lyceum is no different - not sure what to say about them - I certainly would not risk my money on them. *********************
We arrive and show our tickets to the chap on the door - early for once - someone is slipping in his duties. The entrance lobby leads to a bar where V offers to buy coffee - does he think we are incapabubble or pished - probably but it all adds to the fun. Personally I need to find a bog before the show starts - don't want to be staggering around half cut when the show is under way.
The Lyceum is a huge theatre - looks to have a 60ft stage at least. The whole place is done out in red and gold with a pit and stalls surrounded by what look like private boxes. At least two of these boxes are occupied by musicians - so it might be a bit loud if you get in a box next to them.
We were placed about 20 rows from the stage at the front of the back block of seats so there was a large walkway infront of us - great, not squished in like cinema seats.
We (I) paid £35.00 each for the tickets (some six years ago). I think the cheapest tickets today are still around £25.00 for a matinee performance - be aware that for that price you could end up behind a pillar.
The show itself is absolutely amazing - words fail me - the best show I've seen and I can't recommend it highly enough.
8 Overall impressions. London is not my favourite place, I've been there a number of times on business but this is the only time I've been to have a simple day out.
More days like this and I think London would grow on me despite all the pollution, traffic and now fears of attack from nutters with bombs.
Thoroughly enjoyed it but was glad to have V there (stone cold sober as always) to show the way home - really squiffy by the time we boarded the train home and probably would have been a good target for muggers. Good old V saved the day again.
Shortly after this day out S divorced V and went off with her girlfirend - extremely likeable lady in my opinion who knows how to knock back a few bottles of Shirraz- good luck to her.
Sorry no pictures my camera battery failed about 09:30 ish.
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Jul 4th, 2006
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