Where to take my mum

[sg]

I want to take my mum out on saturday in central London. We both know London well and like the South Bank, apart from Tate modern, is there anywhere interesting you can recommend, or any mid-priced restaurants you know?

thanks

[Champagne]

Hi SG! xxx

On Saturday 1st you have the following taking place near South Bank:-

the.gallery@oxo
11am-6pm (daily)
The Big Shelter sit-in
Until 2 April
(Thousands of people have been snapped sitting in Shelter�s red chair to protest against the fact that over one million British children are suffering in bad housing.)

National Theatre
1pm & 6pm
Jeffrey Benson Trio
(Jazz standards on sax, guitar and double bass.)

Both are free events.

If you like plays then Mike Leigh's 'Two Thousand Years' is on at the National Theatre. Mike Leigh is the dog's dangly bits!

For eats, I tend to meander along South Bank and discover something new tucked away in a side alley. Otherwise, the Old Thameside Inn (Clink Street, SE1 9DG � 5 mins walk from London Bridge) is a trusted favourite. It�s simple pub grub but with a great terrace overlooking the Thames. Get there early if you want an outdoor table though.

Have fun! x

[vehelpfulguy]

A really great book about London is the Dorling Kindersley (DK) Eyewitness Travel Guide for London.

Full of loads of things to do in London and well worth buying for either this weekend or future reference.

See here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/140531088X/qid=1146139832/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-9464125-6610812

[vehelpfulguy]

Here is something different and unusual that I am sure many people in London know nothing about (I found it in the DK book mentioned above).

It is Sir John Soane's Museum in Lincolns Inn, near Fleet St and the Strand.

Sir John Soane was architect who designed buildings like the Bank of England.

He bought 12 Lincolns Inn and filled it with objects. He then bought 13 next door, then 14, and filled them with objects.

When he died he left the houses and objects to the state and they are know a museum.

The DK book calls it the "one of the most surprising museums in London".

Here is the web page

http://www.soane.org/

[vehelpfulguy]

Some other suggestions for London off the top of my head:

British Museum (free)

The West Kensington museums such as History, Science, V & A or Geology (all free). Any of those can take a day to see.

Brompton Oratory, amazing ornate church next to V&A museum. See here http://www.touruk.co.uk/london_churches/bromptonoratory_church1.htm

Covent Garden area

Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly. Amazing Shop. http://www.fortnumandmason.com/

Wallace Collection near Regents park. One of the worlds finest private collections of art. http://www.wallacecollection.org/

Greenwich

For more see the D&K book I mentioned above, they list loads of museums, chuches, parks, buildings etc

[eash]

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/

[livk]

Threre is quite a bit of disruption to the tube services this weekend so I would check and plan your itinerary carefully, and whatever you choose to do, Im sure your mum wil love spending the time with you.

Cheap eats up town include Stockpots (many branches across London) or a trip to Chinatown (I'd recommend the Wong Kei in Wardour Street just for the experience of their famous service but the food is very good standard and cheap).

[sg]

Thanks everyone, it's decided, we are going to meet at the British museum, then go to my mum's favourite Indian restaurant and after that stroll down to the south bank and just have a wander round there.

vehelpfulguy, I looked into the Soane's museum but they say it is particularly busy on saturdays. Apparently I went there when I was seven anyway.....