Issue #9
London..on the Cheap(er)
London is usually listed as the second-most-expensive city in the world. If you live there and have to buy real estate, I guess that could be true. But in this issue, let’s look at how to have a great time in London for practically nothing…or certainly less money than many tourist books would advise. The hotels are astronomically expensive, but ours is paid for. Food is still pricey, but we only buy our lunch.
Here’s a short tour of how to see and experience London for less money than you might expect. Remember, we’ll be in England’s crown city for the evening of Day 10, all day on Day 11, and all of Day 12. The morning of Day 11 will be taken up with our official tour of the city and that’s included in the price of the tour.
Museums
Most of the Big museums are free - that includes the Science, Natural History and Imperial War Museums, The British Museum, and The John Soane Museum of London. The Department of Culture has invested millions - raised by gambling tax and other taxes, to keep Britain's museums free. Places that do charge usually have a free period or day e.g. To check out the museums, go to this site: http://www.londontourist.org/museums.html
Galleries
Virtually all free, including the National Gallery, both the Tate galleries. Those that do make an admission charge usually have a free day (eg The Courtauld), or a free period (the Guildhall, from 15:30). (Note that most times in the British Isles are noted on the 24-hour clock. 15:30…3:30 p.m.)
To get the specifics about the galleries: http://www.londontourist.org/art.html
History
There's plenty of history for free in London - although most of the Royal Palaces make a charge, there are plenty of historic buildings and houses that don't and London's rarely explored churches are exquisite (you can even visit Westminster Abbey, which makes a charge, for free if you attend evensong services there). I recommend you do spend the cash to visit either the Tower of London or Hampton Court. Frankly, I’d put the Tower of London at the top of any London tour. I’ll check on the current price, but my goodness, it’s worth it. The world’s most interesting tour guides escort you through the place. They’re the famous Beefeaters and they have voices that need no amplification. Places like Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s will let you in free for evensong then you’ll be advised to hustle out once the service is completed. When you’re worshipping, it’s free.
Politics
The Houses of Parliament are far from stuffy… “rowdy” might be the better word. Admission when the house is sitting is free - you queue up outside but you won't get into Commons much before 16:30 - better to go later in the evening when the queues have gone down. (And get used to the word.. you “queue up,” not “line up.”)
Shopping
Ok, the prices in London are often astronomical, but the London shopping experience is still largely free. Harrods' Food hall is a cornucopia of Victorian victuals, Camden and Portobello road markets are attractions in themselves, and you can wander down Bond Street anytime fantasizing about what it would be like to have a million bucks.
The standing offer since Harrods’ inception has been, “Whatever you want, we can get it in 24 hours.” People (with money) have tested this…like ordering a pink elephant. Be sure to catch the fish art display that’s changed daily in one of the sidewalk windows of Harrods. Yes…a sculpture of fish.
To peruse the London Markets:
http://www.londontourist.org/markets.html
London Shopping:
http://www.londontourist.org/shopping.html
Theatre
Theatre in London is one of the few reasonably prices things the British have to offer..much cheaper than New York theatre, and there's plenty for free. From the street entertainers in Covent Garden (under the porch of the Actors' Church where Britain's first Punch & Judy show was performed) to the innumerable festivals, there's lots going on. Free foyer events at the South Bank Centre and Barbican are usually of the highest standard. For the theatre of life, head for the markets. And remember that one night of theatre is included in the price of our tour. And a p.s.: if you’re in groups of 2-3 and want cheap tickets, there’s a place in Leicester Square where you can get tickets for half price on the day of the performance. (And there are places that claim to be that place which aren’t really that place.)
Music
Again, the price of concerts in London is, considering the high quality, very reasonable (from July to September you can see the world's best at the Proms for £3 a ticket) with huge subsidies (all tickets for the BBC orchestras are cheap, thanks to the TV license fee and a government grant) but still there's a lot for free (for example the BBCSO hold free concerts at the BBC Maida Vale studios -tickets for which can be obtained by calling BBC Audience Services on 020 8576 1227 - just don't cough as it's being taped for radio transmission).
Recent free events at the Barbican and South Bank have included concerts by the NY Phil, London Philharmonia, Top Jazz and folk bands. Grab a “programme.” Occasionally you'll catch a famous band busking or recognize someone you saw busking last week on MTV.
And Speaking of Buskers
These folks are one of my favorite things about London (and you’ll find them in Ireland and Scotland as well). They’re street musicians or actors or magicians or mimes, usually with a little hat or box for your donations. The quality of regular buskers in Leicester Square is very high (the local council charges £400 a week for the pitches) - Covent Garden actually auditions for its buskers as quality control. Many pubs have a good reputation for free music. Covent Garden is probably my favorite place to watch them because…well, it’s just a cool place.
Hoofing It…
Although it’s a mighty big city, London is still a wonderful city for walking. There are too many famous walks to list them all here, but here’s a taste:
http://www.londontourist.org/itinerary.html
One of my favorite London activities consists of buying an all-day Tube pass, hopping on, then getting off when something looks interesting. You can NEVER get lost in London as long as you remember the name of the Tube stop nearest your hotel. If you’re think you’re lost, simply walk in any direction until you see a sign for the Tube. Go down the steps or the elevator, look at a map and it’ll tell you how to get from where you are to where you want to go. I’m not exaggerating. It’s just that easy. We’ll show you how to negotiate the Tube map once we get to London. You may have to make transfers from one Tube line to another, but there are always signs. And of course once the doors to the car open, you’ll hear the voice of God (or someone) on the P.A. system saying, “Mind the gap. Mind the gap.” That means “Hey, American! Don’t step into the pit!”
And one more vital bit of advice. Many of these Tube stations are located far underground and you’ll need to take an escalator or a series of escalators to get there (sometimes an elevator). When on the escalator, stand on the right side! Do not stand on the left! The fast-moving commuters will at best get irritated and at worst, run right over you.
Some Specific Freebees
Changing the Guard
For a display of British pomp and ceremony, watch the Changing the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace. This is where one member of Queen's Guards exchanges duty with the old guard. Both guards are dressed in traditional red tunics and bearskin hats, and the ceremony is set to music.
To catch the ultimate royal experience, stand outside Buckingham Palace at 10.45am and again at 11.40am to watch the mounted guards ride out of the palace and down The Mall. It takes place every day from April to July and then alternate days the rest of the year. Visit the Royal website
for a full schedule. I don’t know for sure, but very often the official tour of London includes (and often concludes at) the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham so you may see this as a part of our city tour.
The Ceremony of the Keys
A tradition for the past 700 years, this ceremony takes place every evening at the Tower of London. The Chief Yeoman Warder, wearing a long red tunic, Tudor bonnet and carrying a candle, locks up the main gate and delivers the keys to the Resident Governor of the Tower. Tickets are free, but need to be booked up to two months in advance by written application.
Sir John Soane's Museum
Sir John Soane was an architect and collector of curios. During his lifetime he amassed some remarkable antiquities from all four corners of the globe. These are now on display in Sir John Soane's Museum, which is his former home - and gives a real insight into the life of this extraordinary Victorian gentleman.
RAF Museum
Take to the skies on a free day out at the RAF Museum. There are over 80 aircraft on display, together with uniforms, weapons, photographs and more. Plus, there's a Battle of Britain sound and light show, a helipad, and even a Red Arrows flight simulator, if your nerves can handle it!
Miscellany…
Here’s a sort of review of Top Ten Things to Do in London for Free:
http://golondon.about.com/od/thingstodoinlondon/tp/free_London.htm
Time Out … that’s the name of the magazine to buy if you want to know what’s now and what’s hot in London. You’ll find it in the London airport..and about everywhere else.
Click here for a quick You Tube video of the London sights. http://www.londonforfree.net
A Very Simple Story… Sometime in the early 1980’s I took a group of teenagers to Europe. London was the last stop on our tour and the kids hadn’t budgeted very wisely. They were pretty much out of money. With a single day left in London they had just enough money for a Tube pass. Then…one girl came up with an idea…
She and a friend went into a grocery store, bought the makings of sandwiches, and the 14 of us took off for Green Park. (A beautifully green park, but unfortunately it’s named after the green condition of bodies piled up there after the Black Plague.) We sat on the grass and except for that blasted Australian delicacy, Vegemite, we enjoyed the most memorable afternoon of our trip… simply watching the British stroll by, watching the swans on the lake, and trying to get the British squirrels to eat the Vegemite. My personal warning: whenever we travel I encourage people to try the local cuisine, no matter what it seems to look or smell like. “Vegemite” is where I draw the line. It takes like a paste of metal shavings. Only an Australian could stomach such a thing.
Some of my favorite Free (or cheap) activities in London include… strolling through Covent Garden..the buskers are on a schedule and switch every hour or so and there are always several different groups going on at once. (By the way, Covent Garden isn’t really a “garden,” but rather a market/exposition area.) Not a cheap place to eat or shop but a great place to stroll. (And right next to Covent Garden is the National Theatre Museum.)
----Going to Parliament Square just before the hour, whipping out your cell phone, calling up a friend and saying, “Listen to this” as Big Ben strikes in the background. There’s nothing like rubbing it in.
---Walking through the Food Hall at Harrods.
---Going to Trafalgar Square and watching the people. It’s the meeting place in London and everyone seems to end up there eventually.
---Walking through Piccadilly Circus and viewing every form of strangeness available on the planet. (Circus, by the way, comes from the Roman word for “circle.” The pink elephants are at Harrods.)
---Going to Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park on Sunday morning. It’s the wildest bunch of orating and heckling you’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, I think we’ll be coming into London on a Sunday evening.
---Getting on the Tube and just cruising. And by the way, the American vision of a subway (Tube) is of a dangerous place filled with muggers and Harrison Ford shooting people. The London Tube is the main form of transportation (you’ll see if you make the mistake of riding it during rush hours) and they’re safe as long as you keep moving and don’t get run over by young suited men carrying briefcases. More about the Tube in later issues.
---Talking to the locals in the pubs.
---Paying admission to Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s, then simply sitting in a pew, closing my eyes, and listening to God.
Movie Sights… some folks like to see the actual places where famous movies were filmed..For a somewhat list: (And yes, that includes Oxford where we’ll be touring. It was the stand-in for many of the Hogwarts sites from Harry Potter.)
To the Golfers in our Group.. If you’d like to spend your free Edinburgh day knocking the ball around the Highlands, here’s a good place to start looking…
http://www.edinburghguide.com/sport/golf/
A final reminder: to make best use of our time in London, it’s best to plan ahead..at least pick out a few places and activities ahead of time. To simply get there then start thinking will be a bit late. London has over 40,000 listed buildings and structures of interest, 143 parks, 26 street markets, and over 40,000 shops. We’ll only have time to “skim,” so make it something delicious.
The Half-Day City Tour included in the price of our trip will no doubt whet your appetite for things you’ll want to see. In most cases we’ll simply cruise by the sites on our coach and there’ll be little stopping. After all, the purpose of the city tour is to cover one of the planet’s largest cities in a few hours.
The Red Double-Decker busses are a great way to see the city. True, you may not have any idea where you are when you riding on top, but the view is spectacular. (And yes, they’re exactly the same as they have in St. Louis’s Forest Park. That’s where St. Louis got theirs.)
Walk..walk..walk…. the best tourist tip for London.
A Brief Over-view of our time in London:
| DAY 10: OXFORD, LONDON I’m not sure when we’ll arrive in London, but I’m guessing Early evening. |
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| DAY 11: LONDON CITY SIGHTSEEING Your first real time to explore the city on your own. In the price of the trip…not sure which night. On this night We’ll have what’s called a “Carvery Dinner” included. |
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| DAY 12: LONDON FREE DAY – This will be an Entire day on our own in London. Possible theatre tonight? |
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| DAY 13: RETURN FLIGHT Illinois heat and humidity. |
‘Til next time!
And Olde English Blessing:
May your joys be as sweet as spring flowers that grow, as bright as the hearth fire when winter winds blow, as quiet leaves that float down in the fall, as serene as the Love that keeps watch over.
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