My Son In London

Barry Nelson

On January 15th my son, and other students from his University, will fly out of O'Hare Airport in Chicago and head off for London where he will be spending the next three months. He will be staying at the International Student's House near Regents Park while studying various subjects to complete his junior year of college. At the end the semester he will take a continental tour that will take him to Brussels, Strasbourg, Trier and then Frankfurt. While in London he will be visiting Cambridge, London Globe Theatre and Stratford.

Since this is his first time visiting London and first time leaving the country, I thought I would ask if there is anything the locals think he should see and/or avoid?

He has been saving for this trip so I am sure he will help out the local economy by spending a fair share of money. Some fellow students that traveled to London previously made some connections at a club called Crystal, so I think he will be spending some time there. Hopefully, not too much.

As a father whose son will be 3,900 miles away, I am a little nervous, because if something happens I can't really help out. But, I am hoping he has a good time and experiences as much as possible.

Any tips and advice from fellow AJBers would be appreciated.

The Domino Effect

In a previous job I worked closely with International Students House (ISH) and have toured the premises and inspected the facilities and I can not say enough good things about them. Your son should be very happy there and it will certainly be safe. As you likely know, it has a great location that's both extremely convenient to the Tube and central London in general and, as the name suggests, he'll be mixing with other students from all over the world. ISH have events on the premises including concerts with some pretty big name acts, and they also have an excellent programme of day trips (and longer trips) to events. activities and sights throughout the UK and Europe. In a nutshell, he couldn't have chosen better accommodation for himself...or for your peace of mind! The only thing you should worry about is him returning to Chicago cheering for "The Gunners" instead of "Da Bears".


I hope he has a fantastic time.

Mark Hazard

When visiting Cambridge, if your son has any sort of interest in historic aeroplanes (particularly of WW2 vintage) a visit to Duxford aerodrome (Imperial War Museum outstation, just south of Cambridge) is a must:

http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/

providing the weather is decent there's a good chance of seeing something historical in the air.

Agent_M

As a local I would reccomend the royal botanical gardens at kew
http://www.kew.org/
it can get busy waiting to get in but once inside it's well worth it also worth a look is richmond park
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond_park/

A great place to see deer wandering around, great views across london and free too!

Napoleon Plural

It's a tad chilly here at the moment...



Okay, Lowdown at the Albany, Great Portland Street is near to him and does a good comedy club, you go downstairs. Worth checking out, a pub on the ground floor.

Bakers Street is nearby so play him the Gerry Rafferty hit, the one off Good Will Hunting is the better, speeded up version.

Galvins on Bakers Street is the best poshest best restaurant but Galvins Windows at the Hilton has the best view.

But for most recent best food reviews, go here:

http://www.london-eating.co.uk/critics/marina-oloughlin.htm

Dean Street Townhouse looks very good. Oh, your son should get an Oyster Card when he's here for the Tube, it's cheaper.

Finally, if he goes to Picadilly 145 and asks for Blowjob Bertha, I'll see he gets a good deal.

Moonraker 5

I used to spend quite a lot of time down in London. Hadn't been down in a while so in November I decided to go down and be a proper tourist for a 4 days. Put quite simply, there's tons to see and do. He'll have a very busy few months. In recommending stuff, it obviously all depends what kind of things he likes, what his interests are (given my teenage years are some time ago, I'm a lot more appreciative of many things now that I would have scoffed at back then).

Although someone's already said that the trip up to Duxford is worth doing (I've been myself and it is a cracking day out if aircraft are your thing) the Imperial War Museum itself, in Lambeth, is worth a visit. The Cabinet War Rooms, just off Whitehall and under HM Treasury, are also fascinating as it was the seat of government during the German bombing campaign and has been left exactly the way it was when it was last used by the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Of all the main tourist attractions the Tower of London is well worth a visit, in my opinion. While you can go in and wander at your leisure, or pay £4 for an audio headset, it's worth waiting on one of the regular guided tours by the Yeoman of the Guard. It's far more entertaining, you learn a lot more, someone is on hand to slot the history in place and you're also taken inside the Chapel Royal, where the headless bodies of over 100 executed are interred and the unmarked graves of three executed Queens; Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey. You can only access that with a guided tour, and it ends in there with what can be a very interesting and very amusing Q&A session with the Yeoman Warder.

Westminster Abbey is also well worth a visit. The atmosphere is electric, the weight of history is heavy and - even for an agnostic like myself - the 'power of God' tangible. The audio tour, voiced by Jeremy Irons, is very detailed and interesting.

Modern art isn't my thing, I have to admit, but we did wander into the Tate Modern - right next door to the Globe Theatre - and took in the central exhibit (which changes every other month) and I have to say, was thoroughly impressed. It's free admission, so even if you don't like what you see you can just wander back out. If he's into his Bond, like his dad, then across the Millenium Bridge from the Tate Modern is the Royal College of Arms as seen in OHMSS (he could also check out the MI6 building at Vauxhall Bridge, half a mile up the Thames from Westminster).

General things I'd recommend, take a walk from Westminster Bridge along the south bank of the Thames to Tower Bridge. A great walk and you stumble across some fascinating sights and buildings (and Sir Francis Drake's Tudor galleon, The Golden Hinde, which he navigated around the world). On the way, take in Borough Market under London Bridge (which isn't falling down ), sensory overload and free samples On a nice day, stroll round the market to choose what to have for lunch and then sit in the grounds of nearby Southwark Cathedral, where William Shakespeare worshipped (his brother Edmund is interred there), to eat it.

A walk through Hyde Park from Marble Arch, down past the Serpentine, to Kensington Palace and through Kensington to Knightsbridge is worth it. The Natural History and V&A (Victoria & Albert) museums are located there, if that's his thing, both free, but the Natural History museum is an entire day out on it's own. But that part of town is really very affluent and it's a nice peak into how the other half live.

Slightly further out of the city you've got Hampton Court Palace (Henry VIII's residence) which is very impressive and sits in the lovely suburb of Kingston-Upon-Thames, and Windsor.

As for nightlife, places to eat, which I'm sure is probably what he's really interested in, my clubbing days are over so can't recommend any, but there are plenty of nice, chilled out bars around Covent Garden. There's a nice pizza place on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden called Fire & Stone that I like, followed by a couple of pints in the Porterhouse Pub across the road. China Town isn't very far away from here either and has some very nice eating places. Camden Town and The Angel, Islington are good nights out as well. A lunchtime pint in the Red Lion, at the bottom of Whitehall yards from the Palace of Westminster, is always entertaining. Full of civil servants and MPs and is actually linked to the Division Bell in the House of Commons, which rings to warn MPs they have 8 minutes to get back and vote.

Oyster card is the way to get about as noted, which gets you on the bus network, the tube and the DLR. You see a lot by travelling on the top deck of a bus and they are far easier to use than it first appears - there's detailed information on most bus stops and onboard displays tell you where you are at all times. Don't use black cabs, rip off. Addison Lee minicabs (www.addisonlee.com) are much more cost effective but they have to be pre-booked; they are worth it though - particularly late at night, as they will call you on your mobile to tell you they've arrived so you don't have to hang about street corners waiting on them.

Oh and so as not to have him waste money unnecessarily, as I'm sure as a young student he'll be on a budget, restaurants with table service around 12% is acceptable tip for good service and don't bother tipping bar staff. The odd quid or two perhaps for taxi drivers but don't tip anyone else, tourguides or anything like that. Tipping is absolutely no where near as prevalent as it is out there - he'll realise that quickly, but it's good to know in advance.

I'm sure he'll have an amazing time, it's truly a world city and it'll be a really good experience for him.

Lady Rose

Moonraker 5 wrote:

Although someone's already said that the trip up to Duxford is worth doing (I've been myself and it is a cracking day out if aircraft are your thing) the Imperial War Museum itself, in Lambeth, is worth a visit. The Cabinet War Rooms, just off Whitehall and under HM Treasury, are also fascinating as it was the seat of government during the German bombing campaign and has been left exactly the way it was when it was last used by the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

There's also the R.A.F Museum at Hendon .... Take the Northern Line to Colindale and its a 5 minute walk from there. Very easy and free.

BN make sure your son knows that most of the museums are free .... if he's looking for cheap entertainment, thats the place to head

Barry Nelson

I would like to thank everyone who took time to respond to my inquiry, I really do appreciate it.
My son is really looking forward to the trip and will be using your vast information to aid his sightseeing.

As for the cold that London is experiencing, that won't faze him, that is normal around here. Yesterday morning it was 2 degrees farenheit (-16 celcius) and it hasn't been above freezing in three weeks.

The Oyster card was mentioned in the handouts the school gave him, so he is familiar with that.

I apperciate knowing that area where he will attending classes is a safe area. Also, the eating and night life tips will help.

Yes, he is a Bond fan, in fact, he has posted on the site as Severneya. As you might guess, Goldeneye is his favorite Bond film.

Thanks again

Moonraker 5

Oh, and on any journeys outside London, given that our rail network is more expensive to travel on than the Space Shuttle, Megabus is very cheap and cheerful to get to other big towns and cities throughout the UK. National Express coach network is a little bit more expensive but far more comprehensive and if he were to travel as far afield as Glasgow or Edinburgh then providing you have no bags in the hold Ryanair can sometimes do it for the same price as the coach.

Barry Nelson

Just a quick update on my son's London stay, now that he has been there for two months. He absolutly loves London, actually told me he could see living there. Has been out to see many places, can't name them all, but a few highlights were Cambridge, House of Lords and Commons, the Supreme Court, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, various museums, along with the typical London stops such as Big Ben. Has been to a number of plays, including Enron which he really enjoyed. Went to Harrods and said it was the greatest store he ever saw. He has also made some weekend trips to Paris (really liked it), Venice (not so much) Rome (fantastic) and this weekend he is in Dublin.

He has another month in London and he intends to explore the city a little more in depth. All in all he has been very impressed with the city and the folks that live there.

Loeffelholz

That's great, Barry. How exciting Europe is for a young American...and I speak from experience, though sadly I never made it to the British Isles (in retrospect I can't believe it!) in two years ;% If only there were "do overs" in life...

I was in Spain, primarily (based in Zaragoza, but saw a lot of the rest), with forays into France (Paris!), Portugal (Lisbon, mostly), Italy (Northern, Aviano area) and Germany (Zweibrucken, Frankfurt). I wouldn't trade those days for lottery millions...and I envy your son's experiences. He'll remember them as an old man and smile

Mandido

[Post deleted by Barbel]

Asp9mm

Bit late. The thread is over 5 years old.

Thunderpussy

Five years ? Well London is a big town with lots to see. So it
Would take a bit of time.

Higgins

obviously a spammer - reported

Barbel

Thanks, Higgins. Banning him and deleting his post.

The Domino Effect

Barbel wrote:

Thanks. Higgins: Banning him and deleting his post.

Got excited there for a moment. It's amazing what a change of punctuation marks can do to a sentence.

Barbel

) Nice one!

Higgins

Barbel wrote:

Thanks, Higgins. Banning him and deleting his post.

Thanks, Barbs )

Higgins

The Domino Effect wrote:

Got excited there for a moment.

:v :v :v still hoping, eh?

The Domino Effect

Higgins wrote:

The Domino Effect wrote:

Got excited there for a moment.

:v :v :v still hoping, eh?

I'm just jealous, Higgy baby, you know that!

Higgins

So why don't you ask Barbel to ban yourself. ) ) )

The Domino Effect

I would, but I'm afraid I'll end up with one of those upside-down exclamation marks in my name again.