London In January

[granny grump]

We are off to London tomorrow for 3 days 2 nights

We are meeting friends on Thursday night and going to see Sunny Afternoon on Friday evening.

Any ideas for place to see other than the normal while we are there? We are staying in Russell Square

[rockyracoon]

What do you like?

My parents saw Sunny Afternnon last Saturday, they really enjoyed it.

[rockyracoon]

I went on one of these walks, can highly recommend

http://www.walks.com

[EcclesCake]

Not knowing what your normal is makes an answer difficult but a walk along the Southbank and across the river into the city is always pleasurable for me.

[rockyracoon]

I agree with Eccles, you could start at London Eye, walk down to Tate Modern, past The Globe and on to Borough Market (excellent). Whilst there you can go up the Shard, then across London Bridge into The City.

[237SJ]

There's a glass walkway that has been fitted across Tower Bridge. I`d probably give that a go and the Wildlife Photographer of the year exhibition is on a the Natural History Museum at the moment. A drink in one of the bars at The Shard is good - you might have to queue to get in but it's cheaper than going up to the viewing platform.

[Canary42]

If you head along the South Bank to the Globe, you could keep going downstream and try the nearby Clink. It's quite grim, as you would expect, but quite small.

http://www.clink.co.uk

[Buenchico]

If you're in London on a Friday you should definitely consider taking in the free concerts at the Southbank Centre. (I've been to loads of them!).

The lunchtime concert at the Royal Festival Hall is singer-songwriter Eleni Mylona
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/eleni-mylova-1000686?dt=2015-01-30
and there's some great live music next door at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at tea-time:
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/sounds-of-the-windrush-1000687?dt=2015-01-30

The Museum of London Docklands is well worth a visit:
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands/
Allow a couple of hours. It's free but donations are invited. There's a really smart Wetherspoon's pub next door
http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-ledger-building
and lots of other good places to eat and drink as well.

If you're venturing into the Docklands area, The Crystal is worth a look:
http://www.thecrystal.org/
(It's another freebie!)
The cable car across the Thames (which is close by) is also well worth considering:
http://www.emiratesairline.co.uk/

[granny grump]

Thank you all for your help - off to bed now - will report back on Sunday

[mikey4444]

Go to the South Bank and have a tour around the Globe Theatre :::

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/

Or take a boat trip down the river to Greenwich. Fabulous trip down and plenty to see when you are there. Come back to central London by using the foot tunnel under the Thames ( ! ) and get the Docklands Light Railway.

If you want a meal out, by the river, try Hays Galleria ::

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay%27s_Galleria

Or take a tour inside Tower Bridge ::

http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/

As you can see, I am a huge fan of the "other side" of the River !

[mushroom25]

//As you can see, I am a huge fan of the "other side" of the River ! //

you'll never persuade a cabbie to take you mikey :-)

[rockyracoon]

Granny, what did you get up to in the end?

[granny grump]

Thank you all for your suggestions. We had a great time. We arrived last Thurs about 12.30 and booked into the President hotel near Russell Square. Went for a bite to eat at a very good pub very close by - The Friend in Hand. We then went to the Foundlings Museum which I heartily recommend and met with friends for a meal in the evening. We both have problems with our heel which limits our walking and on Friday we went to Piccadilly Circus and took an open top bus trip seeing more of London than we could have managed. We had meal in China Town and then went to see Sunny Afternoon. Brilliant show. One of the actors was the policeman in Call the Midwife. He sang danced and played all manner of instruments. He was really good. On Saturday we went to Covent Garden and had a great time until I tripped (I'm well known for it!) I really thought that I had broken my ankle which I have done twice before. We managed to get back to Yorkshire and went straight to casualty. In and out in 45 mins xrayed as well. Luckily just a very bad sprain which is just beginning to heal. Granddadg laughs as he watched Casualty in casualty. Just lucky that I fell on the last day and not the first. All in all though we had a really good time.

[Buenchico]

I'm glad that you had a good time, GG - even if you did completely ignore all of our suggestions anyway ;-)

[Cloverjo]

I saw Sunny Afternoon at the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it too. Glad you did. We saw the matinee with two understudies appearing, and they were fantastic. Couldn't stop thinking about it all week.

[maggiebee]

Ooh I'm jealous. Went to London last year and we stayed in Russell Square too. 2 minutes from the tube. Afraid we didn't do anything out of the ordinary apart from seeing the poppies at the Tower of London - now gone. Had a good time at Covent Garden though.

[Buenchico]

I've just remembered that my drinking companion was staying in Russell Square last weekend. When I see him on Sunday I'll have to ask him whether he encountered any over-boisterous grannies while he was there ;-)

[granny grump]

How would you describe me to him Buenchico? ha ha