Hidden tourist gem

Dutch Addick

I'm in London this Christmas for Charlton v QPR on Boxing Day and Lewes v Kettering Town on Sunday. In between there is enough time to do touristy things.
I know London quite well, so I'm looking for the hidden tourist gems where you won't see the ordinary Italian, Chinese or Japanese tourist. So no Big Ben, no Piccadilly Circus, no Covent Garden and no Millennium Wheel. Any ideas?

Swisdom

London aquarium is cool - right under the big wheel

Failing that - Greenwich Park and the museum's at the bottom are always nice - and there are a good variety of restaurants to munch in within Greenwich.
You might even be able take in Greenwich Market which is nice.

Covent Garden market is cool but I suspect central London is going to be manic this time of year - especially with sales kicking off

and my favourite restaurant in London is Trader Vic's in the basement of the Hilton Park Lane. Not cheap but holds some good memories for me

SoundAsa£

Well if you're going for a drink try Gordons Wine Bar in Villiers Street (near The Embankment/Charing Cross Tube Stations)...the more crowded it is(so better on a weekday evening) the better the atmosphere. Not too many tourists in there...though there will always be some no doubt wherever you go....just thought, you'll be one won't you!!
Have a great stay in our fantastic city mate.

DA9

Try doing a Jack The Ripper Walk, or visit the Mayflower pub in Rotherhithe, where the pilgrims set sail before landing in good ol USA



Mayflower


Jack The Ripper

Dutch Addick

[cite]Posted By: SoundAsa£[/cite]just thought, you'll be one won't you!!

Technically speaking yes, but by visiting England about one or two weekends a month I consider myself not the ordinary tourist :-)

DA9

The Dutch, only people brave enough to sail down the Thames during the plague, hence the term "Dutch Courage"

Welcome and enjoy

Ledge

clink street prison by London Bridge is good

herb garrett operating theatre museum in st thomas's street is also meant to be a good one.

Dennis Severs museum in Folgate street , off Bishopsgate/commercial st E1 is meant to be a unique INSIGHT as well.

shakespears new globe theatre

design museum- - shad thames

fashion and textile museum - bermindsey st

dick whittington house in College Hill ec4 near cannon st


the list of alternative viewing in london is endless -

I keep remembering some hidden gems so I will keep adding to the list


cartoon museum - little russell st wc1

dickens house museum - doughty st wc1

bethnal green museum of childhood - cambridge heath road

pollocks toy museum - whitfield st W1

This little lot should keep you going :-)

T

Try one of the tourist busses. I had a load of foreign journalists over for a product prresentation on a very London based product so we took them all around London on one. I was amazed at all the stuff i never realised was there before, churches, places of interest etc. As soon as Tiny T is old enough i'm going to take her on one of those... brilliant.

The Markets at Portobello and Borough are worth a visit (although check they're on over Christmas) the museums in Kensington and Bloomsbury are worth a visit. I can throughly reccomend the Aquarium and would love to do the Ripper walk, that DA9 suggests.

You'll no doubt find yourself near Oxford circus, so have a drink in the Courthouse hotel on Great Marlborough street where Charles dickens used to be a court reporter and Oscar Wilde, Napolean, Cristine Keeler, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Johhny Rotton all apeared infront of the judge. The Bar is the old holding cells area, so you can actually sit in one of the old cells and have a drink while the restaurant is still the actual courtroom complete with judges chair, dock and jury seats!

Tate and Tate modern, just walk from Waterloo to London bridge on the south Bank and take them all in.

Ledge

there is a Dutch Church in london as well if you that way inclined in Austin Friars. LOL

OK I'll stop now.

Curb_It

Whenever i chat to someone who's doing the knowledge, i always test them on that one, as i work in AF.

Ledge

lol I passed the test then

There is also the dutch benelovent society there as well but I am just showing off now.

Alex Wright

Horniman Museum in Forest Hill is a bit of a gem.

Something you may not feel appropriate but is also worth a visit is Highgate Cemetary. They do tours and pick out the famous plots like the final resting place of Carl Marx.

Alex Wright

Something that is a bit touristy is a trip along the Thames from Westminster to the Thames Barrier, not sure if the still do trips with a commentary but seeing London from the river is really interesting.

Salad

Loads to do in Greenwich and close at hand to Charlton. In the Royal Park, there's the National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory, Planetarium and Queen Anne's House. Then you have the Royal Naval College with the Painted Hall - and the riverside icerink in the grounds.

You can get a boat from Greenwich up to the Tower or on to Westminster.

At London Bridge, Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral and The Market Porter are a good combination! Also from there it is good walking Vinopilis, Golden Hinde, Globe Theatre to Tate Modern.

Dutch Addick

[cite]Posted By: Alex Wright[/cite]Something that is a bit touristy is a trip along the Thames from Westminster to the Thames Barrier, not sure if the still do trips with a commentary but seeing London from the river is really interesting.

I'm bringing my running gear anyway, I want to run from from Tower Bridge to Westminster and back.
Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'm going to book for the Jack the Ripper walk, seems interesting (and 300 yards from our hotel ;-)

I know both Borough Market and Greenwich Market are great. Never been to Portobello Road market and Camden market. I reckon they will be really, really crowded?

Curb_It

getting the boat up the river isnt a hidden gem tho is it? nor are museams. he wants some off the wall suggestions. im thinking hard here... not having much luck.

Alex Wright

[cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]getting the boat up the river isnt a hidden gem tho is it? nor are museams. he wants some off the wall suggestions. im thinking hard here... not having much luck.

Fair point. It's tricky, isn't it.

Curb_It

running the riverfront from charlton greenwich might be a hidden gem... haa

adamtheaddick

Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

Clink Prison Museum


Florence Nightingale Museum

Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience

SE10Addick

[cite]Posted By: Dutch Addick[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Alex Wright[/cite]Something that is a bit touristy is a trip along the Thames from Westminster to the Thames Barrier, not sure if the still do trips with a commentary but seeing London from the river is really interesting.

I'm bringing my running gear anyway, I want to run from from Tower Bridge to Westminster and back.
Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'm going to book for the Jack the Ripper walk, seems interesting (and 300 yards from our hotel ;-)

I know both Borough Market and Greenwich Market are great. Never been to Portobello Road market and Camden market. I reckon they will be really, really crowded?

Camden isnt what it used to be - full of those tourists that you're trying to avoid!

Sunday's around brick lane and Shoreditch is quite different.

like others have said, the Tate is great as is the south bank from Shad Thames to westminster.

Glass half empty

Borough Market followed by wine tasting at vineopolis

Salad

hidden gems? Temple Church and stroll around the whole Temple area.

DA9

[cite]Posted By: SE10Addick[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Dutch Addick[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Alex Wright[/cite]Something that is a bit touristy is a trip along the Thames from Westminster to the Thames Barrier, not sure if the still do trips with a commentary but seeing London from the river is really interesting.

I'm bringing my running gear anyway, I want to run from from Tower Bridge to Westminster and back.
Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'm going to book for the Jack the Ripper walk, seems interesting (and 300 yards from our hotel ;-)

I know both Borough Market and Greenwich Market are great. Never been to Portobello Road market and Camden market. I reckon they will be really, really crowded?

Camden isnt what it used to be - full of those tourists that you're trying to avoid!

Sunday's around brick lane and Shoreditch is quite different.

like others have said, the Tate is great as is the south bank from Shad Thames to westminster.

I venture to Camden a couple of times of year for Rockabilly gear, its not the same anymore, very goth up there now, you cant move for the stuff, some decent places to eat & drink though, love the small take away places in the stables market, you can do a tour of world food in about 10 minutes.

Red_Pete_in_Dubai

For the best cup of coffee in London, go to Fernandez & Wells at 73 Beak Street in Soho. It is just the best coffee I've ever come across anywhere.

DA9

[cite]Posted By: Red_Pete[/cite]For the best cup of coffee in London, go to Fernandez & Wells at 73 Beak Street in Soho. It is just the best coffee I've ever come across anywhere.

Red_Pete...Soho, coffee houses, red stllettos...is there something you want to tell us?

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: DA9[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Red_Pete[/cite]For the best cup of coffee in London, go to Fernandez & Wells at 73 Beak Street in Soho. It is just the best coffee I've ever come across anywhere.

Red_Pete...Soho, coffee houses, red stllettos...is there something you want to tell us?

Just like Amsterdam ....lol

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: DA9[/cite]The Dutch, only people brave enough to sail down the Thames during the plague, hence the term "Dutch Courage"

Welcome and enjoy

I thought Dutch Courage was what you gained after having a drink to steady your nerves ...?

DA9

[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: DA9[/cite]The Dutch, only people brave enough to sail down the Thames during the plague, hence the term "Dutch Courage"

Welcome and enjoy

I thought Dutch Courage was what you gained after having a drink to steady your nerves ...?

It is, but thats the origins of why people say it, they used to have a wee dram to soothe the nerves before venturing down the Thames.

Oggy Red

Well, I never knew that ........

Swisdom

"Another popular etymology is from the plague era of 1666. During this plague, only Dutch merchant sailors would deliver supplies to the city of London, however they would only deliver such after becoming drunk. However, this etymology is questionable, due to the fact that in this time the English and Dutch were bitter rivals and constantly warring with one another (although regardless of this, trade between the two nations boomed under this time).

"

Good ol' Wikipedia

stoneroses19

Sir John Soane's museum in holborn.