London's Old Operating Theatre

The Old Operating Theatre Museum is one of the most unusual museums in London. The Operating Theatre is the oldest in Europe, and the Herb Garret is a unique chance to explore the Roof space of a Church. The Theatre and Garret have recently been restored with its original Georgian plaster free of support frames for the first time since the late 1990's!-The Old Operating Theatre

Ah those crazy Victorians. Back in the good old days medicine was more an art than a science. A bit of herbal mixture and maybe a quick, or not so quick, pass with a saw. I have always had a soft spot for Herbalists and the Herb Garret here seems to be an interesting place for the medicinal plant lover.

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret is one of London's specialist museums, offering a fascinating lookt into the medical profession of the past. Hidden in the roof of St Thomas’ Church near London Bridge Underground, this 300-year old herb garret houses Britain’s only surviving operating theatre-complete with wooden operating table and observation stands, from which spectators witnessed surgery performed with no anaesthesia or antiseptics.

The Museum has objects relating to: Obstetrics, Midwifery, Surgical Instruments, Cupping and Bleeding, Nursing and Patient Care, Anaesthesia, Antiseptic surgery, Apothecaries and Herbal Medicine, St. Thomas's, Guy's and the Evelina Children's Hospital. The odds and ends taken from patients bodies include bullets and stones of one sort or another.

The more disturbing items for me are the Scarificator and Brass Cupping Lamp sets used for bleeding patients which are made as if they were actual scientific instruments instead of the worst sort of quack medicine. On the other hand, many of the surgical tools bare at least a passing resemblance to surgical tools of today and some appear completely unchanged. Of course, many also look as if they would be right at home in The Tower's torture chamber.

The Old Operating Theatre, Museum and Herb Garret, 9a St Thomas's St, London SE1

Phone: 020 7188 2679
Daily: 10.30-17.00
Cost:£5.25; concessions £4.25; under 16s £3
Closed: 15 December - 5 January Telephone the Museum for details and dates of special presentations.

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London 10 Quirky Places

London has a lot of quirky spots and quirky tours and quirky people. I found this video on YouTube and it made me smile. I love the feel of it and the silliness of the sped up sections remind me what London feels like at normal speed. The people are always in a hurry, aren't they? And the city is a big place, which comes across nicely here.

London Gazetteer

There comes a time when my London Thoughts are no longer satisfied with tour books and picture books of all the common stuff that tourist like to look at. I like the occasional book that takes me a little farther afield, and I hope that next time I in London, I will go a little farther a field myself.

With this thought in mind, I found Chambers London Gazetteer. Here is a nice thick book which has over 1,300 entries covering all manner of places that I would have never known of otherwise. Oh I suppose I could chat up some other London blogger and arrange to met and get a proper tour of the city-but the odds of that happening are pretty slim. Besides, I can enjoy the company of the book at anytime, not just when I am in that grand old city of London.

The London Gazetteer has a couple of sections of photos, mostly of places I have never heard of, but which look very interesting. For example, Ash Tree Cottage and Old Keeper's Cottage have that nice thatched look I associate with Standford Upon Avon. While places like BedZED and the Halls of residence for the University of East London remind that London never stops growing and changing.

The entries are seldom very long, but still long enough to give their subjects a good going over. In addition to the text of the articles, there are also web page addresses when applicable, postal district, bus and underground routes, riverboat piers, populations, and books to look up for further reading. They also help on pronunciations such as Euston-pronounced yoostan.

Right, reading the London Gazetteer is not going to let me pass as a local, but it might help me figure out what the people on Masterpiece Theater are on about.

Slow Down London

Slow Down London is a new project to inspire Londoners to improve their lives by slowing down to do things well, rather than as fast as possible.

I love the idea of Slow Down London, take the time to look around and see the city. I've always been a fan of Mindfulness and taking a moment to see where I am. I don't always succeed, and I must admit that most of my time in London was spent looking through a camera lens, but then, I tend see most of the world through a camera lens. I also like Tai Chi and the idea of doing Tai Chi on a busy spot in London.

I've never been a very good slow tourist, I'm more one of those that loves hop on and hop off bus tours and getting in as much in a day as I can. But I have started to slow down in my own life and I really like all the articles and slide shows I find on Slow Down London.

I like this slide show of The Slow Exposure Competition, an easy way to fuel my London thoughts.

London's Blue Plaques

The blue plaques scheme has been running for over 140 years and is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. The idea of erecting ‘memorial tablets’ in London was first proposed by William Ewart MP in the House of Commons in 1863. It had an immediate impact on the public imagination, and in 1866 the Society of Arts (later Royal Society of Arts) founded an official plaques scheme for the capital. The Society erected its first plaque – to the poet Lord Byron – in 1867. In all, the Society of Arts erected 35 plaques; today, less than half of them survive, the earliest of which commemorates Napoleon III (1867).-English Heritage

Blue plaques seem to be everywhere in London, and with about 800 blue plaques floating around it's no wonder. The London Blue Plaques are sort of like The Hollywood Walk of Fame-except they are a tad more prestigious. There are a couple of books on London's Blue Plaques and there is a website where you can go and make your own Blue Plaque. There's also a pretty nice blog dedicated to the topic of Blue Plaques, called Blue Plaques of London. Like a lot of Blogger taking on a large topic he seems to have slowed down a bit.

There is also a nice little Blue Plaque Map of Central London where you can click on the shadows and pull up buildings that have Blue Plaques. Clearly a work in progress, but I like what they have done so far. This is a fun way to while away the odd moment. In real life the Blue Plaques are a little on the subtle side and it is easy enough to walk past them all without noticing them. That's when those handy people with umbrellas called Tour Guides come in handy, they point out the little Blue Plaques and tell you who they are for.

Blue plaques are placed on buildings - occasionally grand, often ordinary - where famous people lived and worked. Sigmund Freud lived and worked in fashionable Hampstead; Charles Darwin in central London’s university campus; Isaac Newton in Soho; Charles Dickens in private street of Camden; Mozart composed his first symphony in the elegant neighbourhood of Chelsea. As with all fame, of course, many of the Blue Plaques of London commemorate people the average person don't know. British Heritage has kindly composed a list of the many names and a brief bio for those interested.

So be sure to look up for a bit of blue once in a while in London, you might see a Blue Plaque telling you that someone important once lived there.

London's Theatreland

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world. Seeing a West End show is a common tourist activity in London.

Programmes such as How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do boosted attendances across theatreland.

The Society of London Theatre questioned 716 people about the influence of TV talent programmes on the productions they were likely to see.

Nearly half said the shows made them more likely to see the musical involved. Reality programmes landed Lee Mead, Connie Fisher and Jodie Prenger lead roles in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sound Of Music and Oliver!

The Ipsos Mori poll also found that after watching the TV shows, a third of people were more likely to attend any musical - not just the one they saw on television; and nearly a quarter would consider a play or comedy as well.

The talent shows were broadcast between 2006 and last year. They coincided with record years for theatre audiences, which rose from 12.35 million three years ago to 13.6 million in 2007 and 13.89 million last year.

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Planning on taking in a Show while your in London? You might want to check out Society Of London Theatre Google Maps which has the seemingly endless places to watch a show mapped out for you.

The Best Barbecue in London

To a native Texan the idea of the Best Barbecue in London is sort of like looking for the best Pub in Dallas-you might find one, but even the best might not be that great. But the world is smaller than it once was, and London welcomes all kinds of diverse people and foods. So why not The Best BBQ in London?

Rather than do the actual research of wandering around London and eating bbq myself, I decided to just take the Top Ten according to Google. If they care enough to get top rank in Google, they must be good at something.

All the Barbecue Places in London look good to me, but then, I never met a plate of barbecue I didn't like. As always, these London thoughts are a means of narrowing down the vast and impenetrable city of London to places I'd like to go-or in this case, eat.

Top Ten Barbecue Restaurants in London-

10. The Vibe Bar finds itself at number ten. When you click on the Food tab, it tells you they have some tasty Jerk Chicken and BBQ Grills. One of Brick Lane's finest and most interesting destinations, The Vibe Bar packs in a trendy indie crowd of musicians and fashionistas keen to enjoy cheap drinks and pounding hip hop and house music. Maybe the food is not why you go to The Vibe Bar-but I'm sticking with my Google plan.

9. The Chicago Rib Shack-Now this sounds more like what I had in mind. Ribs and Brisket and Whole Piglets and Steaks and even stuff for that poor vegetarian you dragged along. These are people that set out to create London's Best Barbecue place and judging from the website-they may have done it. Seems some people think it's not as good as the original, but then, what in life ever is?

8. Big Easy-The best Cajun restaurant in London? Could be. Over 15 years ago, Paul Corrett, our founder, opened Big Easy’s doors in London. And right from the beginning, it’s been the food, family, friends and music that have exhilarated guests and kept them coming year after year. BBQ Ribs and Chicken seems to be the barbecue of choice at Big Easy-with an all you can eat Barbecue Pig Gig every Monday. Looks like my kind of place.

7. The Ship-The Ship has been supplying fine ales, wines and food to its surrounding residents since 1786 when it was founded as a Thameside Waterman’s Inn. The BBQ Menu has burgers, pork belly, and steaks. There's also the intriguing sounding Smoked Bacon and Red Onion Marmalade Sandwich. Crispy pig tails and ears with Aioli sounds just odd enough to whet my appetite. The Ship in Wandsworth has a beautiful outdoor dinning area, making it one of the best places in London to spend an afternoon.

6. Goodman Restaurant-This is a steak house, with such standbys as Irish Black Angus, UK Grass Fed, USDA Beef 120 Days Grain Fed, and Australian Grass Fed-these are some top quality steaks. Goodman might be the Best New York Steakhouse in London. Or maybe that should be the best Moscow Steakhouse in London. In either case, this seems to be the best steak to be had in London.

5. Cargo-Seems to be club that serves food, not that there's anything wrong with that. The menu has a few grilled items and the usual suspects of a free range jerk chicken sandwich. A couple of burritos mingle freely with the pasta dishes-nothing seems out of place here. Seems they have a barbecue in the beer garden. I'm sure Cargo is far too hip for the likes of me, but then, I never was all that trendy.

4. Bodean's BBQ-Back in 2002 Andre Blais had a dream - to bring the taste, the style, the soul of his beloved Kansas City barbecue to London town. Now this is what I had in mind-great KC BBQ in London. I wonder if I could get a work permit and work at Bodean's BBQ? I always wanted to be a Pit Boss when I grew up. Bodean's menu is straight out of any barbecue joint in America-burgers and hot dogs, ribs and pulled pork, and even burnt ends. Things like cole slaw, fries, corn bread, and BBQ beans round out that whole real barbecue feeling. The Best Ribs This Side of The Atlantic-so says Time Out.

3. City Inn-Barbecue seems means grilling to a lot of people in London, so I am guessing that the City Inn has a grill somewhere where they heat up some veg and cook the odd burger. But my idea of BBQ is Bodean's.

2. The Rising Sun, Epsom-Also has a grill where they do a nice barbecue, though I didn't much info on it. Maybe Google isn't always right after all.

1. Best Mangal-I have to admit that I like a bit of Turkish BBQ now and then as well. Mangal is the Turkish term for an open charcoal fire for cooking food on (a kind of brazier), and little brother to the ocakbasi, which is a long trough full of glowing coals with an extraction canopy overhead. The menu is long and filled with the usual suspects of a Turkish restaurant. Kabobs and hummus and salads and meats of all kinds on sticks.

London's Top Ten Fun Museums

London is full of museums, some famous and on everyone's must see list, some not so well known but still a bit of fun to stop by for a visit. I tend to like all London attractions, even the ones that may not fit on a tight schedule of things to see in a week. My London travels my London travels have not taken me to the small and out of the way museums, but now that I have the major sites out of the way, maybe I can work in a few of the these little gems.

London's Top Ten Fun Museums

Cartoon Museum

This highly entertaining London tourist attraction covers the history and development of British cartoons from the 18th Century to the present day. The Cartoon Museum is dedicated to preserving the best of British cartoons, caricatures, comics and animation, and to establishing a museum with a gallery, archives and innovative exhibitions to make the creativity of cartoon art past and present, accessible to all for the purposes of education, research and enjoyment
Usually: Adult £4.00

Firepower Royal Artillery Museum

Firepower, the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich tells the powerful and dramatic story of artillery, scientific discoveries made through warfare and human stories of courage and endeavour. The ‘ground shaking' Field of Fire audio-visual show puts you in the midst of battle as shells whiz overhead and guns roar.This engaging weapons museum shows every gun up close and details in which conflicts it was used in and with which ammunition. You can also watch videos demonstrating the pieces in use and see how each works. It's a fascinating London attraction that looks at how military personnel use armoury today - even in peacekeeping missions.
Usually: Adult £5.00
Usually: Child £2.50

Florence Nightingale Museum

From Florence’s slate she used as a child, her pet owl Athena, to the Turkish lantern used in the Crimean War, the collection spans the life of Florence Nightingale, the Crimean War and Florence’s nursing legacy up to the present day.As one of the most famous women in British history it is not surprising that Florence Nightingale should have a museum dedicated to her memory. The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates the woman who almost single-handedly created the modern nursing profession in Britain following her experiences during the Crimean War.
Usually: Adult £5.80
Usually: Child £4.80

Guards Museum

If you're in London on the 24th of September then don't miss the opportunity to attend a unique London event. The Coldstream Guards Band (who have just signed a £1million pound record deal!) will be putting on a concert at the Guards Chapel to raise money for this unique museum. The concert will be held on Thursday 24th September at 19.00 and tickets cost just £10 for London Pass holders (normal price £15) - saving you £5 per ticket! The price also includes a complimentary glass of wine before the concert starts. It is sure to be a great event and a great way to help support a fantastic cause! The London Guards Museum is a fascinating insight into the history of the military in the capital and is unique among London museums as it was not originally intended for public view.
Usually: Adult £3.00

Handel House Museum

The Handel House Museum was home to the baroque composer George Frideric Handel from 1723 until his death in 1759. This landmark address is where Handel composed some of the greatest music in history including Messiah, Zadok the Priest and Music for the Royal Fireworks, and died on 14 April 1759. One of the many specialist London museums, Handel House Museum celebrates Handel's life and works, as well as his contemporaries in what many consider the golden age of classical music. The beautifully restored interiors give a sense of what life must have been like for this hugely influential composer at the peak of his power.
Usually: Adult £5.00
Usually: Child £2.00

Household Cavalry Museum

The Household Cavalry Museum is a living museum about real people doing a real job in a real place. The Household Cavalry Museum is unlike any other military museum because it offers a unique 'behind-the-scenes' look at the work that goes into the ceremonial duties and operational role of The Household Cavalry. From a glazed screen inside the Museum, visitors can view into the working stables of The Queen's Life Guard.
Usually: Adult £6.00
Usually: Child £4.00

London Canal Museum

At the London Canal Museum you can see inside a narrowboat cabin, learn about the history of London's canals, about the cargoes carried, the people who lived and worked on the waterways, and the horses that pulled their boats.During your London sightseeing visit you can see inside a narrowboat cabin, learn about the people who lived and worked on the waterways and the horses that pulled their boats. This is the only London museum of inland waterways and one of the best canal museums in the UK.
Usually: Adult £3.00
Usually: Child £1.50

Twickenham World Rugby Museum & Stadium Tours

The World Rugby Museum is the ultimate visitor experience for the world rugby enthusiast. Twickenham is the home of England rugby and also the World Rugby Museum - home to the finest collection of rugby memorabilia in the world. The Museum opened in 1996 and takes visitors through the history of the sport from its origins to the present day.
Usually: Adult £14.00
Usually: Child £8.00

Pollock's Toy Museum

Pollocks Toy Museum takes its name from Benjamin Pollock, the last of the Victorian Toy Theatre printers. Set up by Marguerite Fawdry who bought up the stock of Benjamin Pollock Ltd., after trying to buy one small item for her son’s toy theatre. Originally at Monmouth Street, near Covent Garden, the present museum has been at Scala Street since 1969. Nearly every kind of toy imaginable turns up here from all over the world and from all different time perods.
Usually: Adult £5.00
Usually: Child £2.00

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, London visitors to the Wimbledon museum can experience the atmosphere in the 1980's Gentleman's Dressing Room and watch John McEnroe guide you through normally off-limits areas and reminisce about how he first met Jimmy Connors and how he prepared himself for matches. The museum is open throughout the year, daily: 10.00am - 5pm. Last admission is 4.30pm.
Usually: Adult £10.00
Usually: Child £5.50


London Tourist Information - How to Save Money on London Attractions

Kensington Palace and Queen Victoria's Bloomers

The underwear — which has a 56-inch (142-centimeter) waist — has been added to Britain's Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Kensington Palace. The undergarments have a matching chemise, are embroidered with a "VR" and are believed to date from the 1890s.

The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is one of the must sees at Kensington Palace. Though I am not really sure that the Queen's underwear falls exactly under the heading of Ceremonial Dress.

The collection purchased the bloomers for 600 pounds ($993) earlier this summer. It's likely they were handed down to a servant after the monarch's death.

There are about 12,000 items in the collection-including photographs, prints, sketches, diaries — and famous outfits. A 12 million pound ($19.8 million) project, to be completed by 2012, is intended to allow more of the collection, including the underwear, to be displayed at Kensington Palace.

Kensinton Palace has a lot of history as well as a lot of clothes.

1605 Completion of the first house on the site of Kensington Palace. It was built for Sir Walter Cope, a businessman and politician

July 1689 William III and Mary II bought Nottingham House from the Earl of Nottingham for £20,000. This house would be transformed into Kensington Palace

8 March 1702 William III dies at Kensington Palace following a riding accident at Hampton Court

February 1722 The artist, William Kent submits his estimate for the decoration of George I’s new set of state rooms. He gazumped the King’s Serjeant Painter, Sir James Thornhill and won the contract.

Summer 1734 A delegation of Cherokee Indians visit George II and Queen Caroline.

24 May 1819 Queen Victoria born at Kensington Palace

20 June 1837 Queen Victoria receives the news from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chamberlain that her uncle William IV had died and she was now queen.

24 May 1899 The state apartments at Kensington Palace opened to the public for the first time

October 1940 Incendiary bombs damage the Queen’s apartments at Kensington Palace

7 September 1997 The funeral cortege of Diana, Princess of Wales leaves Kensington Palace for her funeral at Westminster Abbey.

London Tourist Information - How to Save Money on London Attractions

Joe Queenan's London

The great cities of the world are best thought of in terms of flora and fauna. San Francisco is a hyacinth, Rio de Janeiro a bromeliad, Cario a flowering cactus, Detroit a burning bush. London, by contrast, most closely resembles a Venus Flytrap.-Joe Queenan

I just finished reading Queenan Country, about writer Joe Queenan's travels around Great Britain and why he likes the people of Great Britain while, at the same time, insulting them at every turn. Queenan's Country is filled with such sites as The Second Smallest Cathedral in England and The Worse Musical of All Time. He also prattles on rather a lot about Tribute Bands, which I have to admit, have always been a bit of a mystery to me as well. Elvis impersonators, sure why not, but fifty year old nobodys pretending their the 20 year old Beatles? I've never really liked that.

Anyway-Joe Queenan spends a bit of his book in London, mainly talking about how much he hates the likes of Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Andrew Lloyd Weber, but occasionally mention actual sites in the great city. So I thought I would look a few of them up and see what I could find out about them.

The Widow's Son-This curiously named pub has a sad story. In a cottage on this site lived a widow, her only son a sailor. He was due to return home on Good Friday and asked his mother to bake him some hot-cross-buns. Sadly, he never returned. Nevertheless every Good Friday his mother had a new bun waiting. Each year a new bun was added to ones she had kept from previous years. Sounds like my kind of place, old and kind of creepy.
Animal Burger

The Tea Hut on Blackheath-Since the l950s the hut has been used by passing motorists, lorry drivers, cabbies, locals, suburban clubbers on their way home from town, courting couples and motorbike and classic-car enthusiasts alike, the latter on Tuesday and Thursday nights only. It's open 24 hours a day, and serves Builders' Tea and the kind of hamburgers Ben Elton once talked of, made of hooves, snouts and eyelashes but heavenly when you've had 10 pints of Old Peculiar down the hill in a Lewisham boozer.

Eel & Pie Shop in Peckham-Didn't find anything with a quick Google and it is possible that this shop has gone the way of all good things, if you consider eels and pies good things. I'm sure you can still shops selling these odd sounding bits of business if you tried.

Canary Wharf-Canary Wharf is a thriving space and vibrant business district-at leas according to their website. I'm not sure that Joe had redevelopment in mind though, I'm guessing he liked it the way it was the last time he saw it, and who knows when that was. Seem to be a lot of tall building in London's Docklands these days. Not that there's anything wrong with that. . .

Battersea Park-Any place that has a museum on the grounds called The Pump House Gallery desevers at least a smal side trip. My own memories of Battersea Park are mainly my surprise at seeing the Peace Pagoda, I like the whole idea of a Buddhist shrine in the middle of an English garden. There are also lots of plants and animals as one might expect in a large city park.

Elephant & Castle-Elephant and Castle has always been an important traffic junction and was once known as “the Piccadilly of South London”. Another place that a lot of cool stuff seems to be happening. Food and Drink, Entertainment, Dancing, Shopping and old buildings to look at, who could ask for anything more? Of course, to me it looks kind of scary on the map, TWO round abouts that close together-oh the humanity.

Southwark Cathedral-The Church of England, what a great sound that has to it. They say there has been a church on this site since AD 606, got love those Brits, always have to remind us that while we study history they lived history. But that's alright, I love old churches just as I love all old buildings. Of course, it's hard to take them seriously after watching shows like The Vicar of Dibly all these years.

The West End-which is funny as Joe Queenan hates musicals in all forms and fashions, yet seems to go out of his way to attend them. Me thinks he doth protest too much. London's West End is London's Theater District, where all the misicals that Joes loves to hate are playing. But there's all kinds of other cool stuff in the area, China Town with Lee Ho Fooks, Mayfair, and Soho, all the places any well dressed American Werewolf would want to be seen.

And that wraps up my little mini London Tour by way of Things Joe Queenan Likes in London.

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The Quirky London Tour

Streetlamps fuelled by sewage, men chopping off their penises in public... London often defies logic in the most surprising way. Come with us as we tell you some of the most bizarre stories from London past and present, although we can’t always tell you the reasons for the randomness...
-Quirky London Tours

There are a seemingly endless array of London tours. I liked the bus tours that let you hop on and hop off, but they are not as personal as a private quirky walking tour of London. Highlights of this quirky London Tour include:The London ballroom turned into a Venetian canal, Britain's only street where cars drive on the right, The twistiest bridge in London, The corpses of left luggage, and Britain's smallest police station.

We did see London's smallest Police Station while there, it's over in a corner of Trafalgar Square and is really not much to look at. They must have had pretty small Bobbies back in the good old days.

How much: Places cost £20 and £16 for concessions, and come with a money-back guarantee.

Where: The Quirky London tour meets at Covent Garden station by Marks and Spencer), and finish around two hours later in Trafalgar Square.

Among the many odd and quirky things to do in London you'll find such items as The Camden Catacombs and The Hanging Gardens of Paddington. There is a great list of the unusual side of London at Top Quirky Sights in London. They also have Monty Python Tours of London and The London Rockstar Death Trail. You gotta love tours with names like that. Being a great fan of the BritCom I would likely take The TV Comedy Location Tour as well-most of them are a bit quirky, aren't they? Or at least, a bit silly.

Of course, to the average Tourist all of London can seem a bit quirky. Where else do you see things like a McDonald's that seats 250 people or double decker buses or an ice bar? The great thing about the quirky side of London is that these may be sights you haven't seen before, or that your friends haven't seen before. Everyone does the Changing of the Guard, but how many people do The Ubiquitous Undead Walk?

Traveling To London? Check How to Save Money on London Sightseeing

London Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

I really wanted to make a video of London while I was there earlier this year but I didn't had any camcorder, so I took pictures instead. In fact I took more then 3000 pictures and put them all together in less then 2 minutes.
-David Hubert

Just saw this video and really liked it. Reminds me of my own trips to London where I would stop every three steps and take another couple of photos. There is something about London that makes you want to take a few thousand images and always remember what the city was like when you were there. I was using film in the good old days when I went, so I only took a few hundred photos of London and not a few thousand. But when I go back, I'm sure that I will be using up a few gigs of memory cards to capture all the stuff I will want to capture.

In the meantime, I like this little bit of video with it's hype active feel of that great city of London.


London (harder, better, faster, stronger) from David Hubert on Vimeo.

London's Best Spas

I like the idea of a London Day Spa, take a couple of hours and relax-get a massage, have some hot rocks put on your back, sit in a sauna until a good sweat builds up. London Spas are a good place to get your nails done and have your pores cleaned. Spend an hour at a London Spa getting a manicure? How about an hour getting a Indian Head Massage?

Well, I'd like a bit of time in a London Spa in a steam room and than a quick dip in a cold pool. I've always liked that whole Roman Bath kind of spa experience. Tepidarium Warm room - Caldarium Hot room - Laconium Hottest room. A series of hot, dry air rooms, which vary from moderate to intense heats. Designed to relax the muscles and relieve the pain of rheumatics.

I really like the sauna-a 'dry' heat treatment in a wood-lined room with a temperature reaching 90 C, designed to bring about perspiration to cleanse the body of impurities. I am not an expert on spas, but I have enjoyed the occasional sauna and massage.

I've always been a fan of aroma therapy as well. Some London spas aroma steam rooms giving 'wet' heat, generating temperatures of 65-70 C. The climate has a very high humidity and the steam is enriched with essence. Designed to soften the skin, cleanse the pores, calm the nervous system and relieve tension.

Spa London has something I have never tried-an ice fountain. The Ice Fountain creates ice flakes to rub all over the body, stimulating the circulation and cooling the body. Well, I guess that would do it. I think it might be fun, as long as one of those hot pools is somewhere nearby.

Acupuncture originated in China more than 2,000 years ago and is offered at Dao today in London. I have never tried acupuncture, but I like the idea that the body can be healed with a few taps of a needle on the right spot. I think I'm more likely to stick with the hot rocks. Hot stone therapy uses smooth water-heated basalt stones and carefully applied to key points on the body. This direct heat relaxes the muscles, which means that the massage itself is more effective and intense than it would be otherwise

A trip to a London Spa would be a good way to relax after a hard day of sightseeing, or maybe before a hard day of sightseeing.

Below is a list of some of London's Best Spas, in no particular order.

Spa London
York Hall Leisure Centre, Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PJ

Beauty Works West
Lambton Place, Notting Hill London W11 2SH

Dao
41 Parkway London, NW1 7AH

The Sanctuary
12 Floral Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DH

Agua at the Sanderson
50 Berners Street London, England W1T 3NG

Mandarin Oriental
66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA

Spa Illuminata
63 South Audley Street . London . W1K 2QS

The CityPoint Spa at the City Point Club
1 Ropemaker Street EC2Y 9AW

Incredible You
40 Moreton Street London SW1V 2PB

Berkeley Spa
Wilton Place Knightsbridge London SW1X 7RL

Elemis Day Spa
2-3 Lancashire Court Mayfair London W1S 1EX

Pacifica Day Spa
1 Courtnell Street, Notting Hill, London W2 5BU

Bloww Salon and Spa
4 Regent Place, London, W1B 5EA

Urban Retreat
5th floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL

London's Best Night Clubs

I'm not much into night clubs myself, but I am big on surfing the web. So I have done a bit of surfing and found a few of the best London night clubs that have good websites and look like fun places to spend the odd night out.

Cafe de Paris-Dress appropriately, have fun, and if your good looking, maybe you'll end up on their website. I like the Cafe de Paris website-this looks like a very interesting night club. Very posh.
Cafe de Paris, 3 - 4 Coventry Street, London. W1D 6BL

Mahiki-Right, what says London more than a Hawaiian style Tiki Club? The website is a lot of fun with tons of Tropical Themed Pin Up Girls and a list of drinks such as a Zombie, Jolly Roger, or Dark and Stormy.
1 Dover Street Mayfair London W1S 4LD

Ronnie Scott's-A Jazz Club in London. Jazz is one of those art forms that seems to forever be on the way out or on the way back in. I grew up with cartoons filled with jazz music, from the Peanuts specials to a ton of Looney Tunes. Ronnie Scott's has been around since 1959 and shows no signs of slowing down. The website has a nice list of Jazz links and offers a jazz Podcast.
47 Firth St, London W1D 4HT

seOne London-London's largest night club-30,000 square feet and a capacity of 3,000. Sounds like a nice intimate place. Another website with photos of club visitors having a good time, mostly young and on the wild and crazy side.
Weston st, London Bridge SE1 3QX

Egg London-A night club that has a swimming pool in the warmer months has to a fun place to visit. Three areas hold 800 people. Playing the best in House, Techno, Minimal, Electro music.
196-200 York Way, London, N7

For more of the Best Nightclubs in London check out TruGroovez and first4London.

London Halloween

Between 2001 and 2006, consumer spending in the UK for Halloween rose tenfold from £12 m to £120 m, according to Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail, making Halloween the third most profitable holiday for supermarkets-Wikipedia

Halloween is one of those holidays that I always loved. Just the idea of getting all kinds of candy and getting to dress up-well, who could ask for more? Why, being in London for Halloween, of course, would be a bit better.

There are a lot of Halloween Events going on in London. Here's a short list of the ones that sound interesting to me-

Halloween Hide'n'Freak at the London Zoo-Halloween Hide'n' Freak 25 Oct-2 Nov Learn all about animal disguise and camouflage, meet creepy seven foot high beetles and bugs, join the interactive Halloween storytelling in the giant tipi and see the Halloween themed Animals in Action shows.

Halloween at The London Eye-London's noble guardian - the eminent Wizard Belvedere - is normally on hand to watch over and protect the city, but has had one too many drinks. So the Wizard could use your help-book a London Eye Secret Spell Flight and cast your magic spell on top of the London Eye.

Halloween at London Dungeon- On October 31st, faces won’t get any uglier than during the London Dungeon's world record breaking attempt to paint the most faces in an hour. From 12 noon to 1 o’clock, the public are invited to take part and receive a disgusting Dungeon make over before they head into the darkness of the Dungeon tour.

Halloween Ghost Walk-what better way to spend the odd Halloween than walking around the old courtyards and silent graveyards of London’s oldest and spookiest quarter? I've always like walking tours and having that personal touch of a guide to point out all the cool and creepy stuff.

For a list of other Halloween in London activities check out LondonTown and View.

Top Ten London for Kids

While London may not seem the best place in the world for kids, there are a lot of things that the little ones should like about the place. The Tube is an amazing bit of business and there is something interesting about riding a train underground. Of course, those really long escalators can be a bit scary, as The Wife found out when we rode up one for close to four stories on one of our trips. But if the kids like escalators, then your set.

There are tons of parks, street performers, and just interesting people of one sort or another all over London. Riding Double Decker Buses, Thames Ferries, and other sightseeing forms of transport can be as much fun for kids as for adults. But for the kids who wants real entertainment, items on the following list should do the trick.



London's Top Ten Attractions for Kids

Legoland-Hey, its an amusement park in Windsor. Gotta love amusement parks. Legoland theme park with lots to do for children, Lego model village, rides, gold panning, car racing and lots more. The theme park has spectacular models made entirely from Lego blocks-I know shocking for a park called Legoland, but they are pretty impressive. The kind of things you wanted to make from Legos but never had enough Lego blocks laying around. Allow between six and seven hours for your visit. Daily shows.

London Aquarium-I've always been a fan of aquariums. There is just something about being in a cool, dark place surrounded by fish swimming around in tanks ranging from small to ginormous. Kids also seem to find these places fun to hang out. It's a place for kids to point out the odd little fish that adults can't seem to find. There are 50 displays with about 400 forms of aquatic life.

London Eye-the giant Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames that brought back the fun of going around a very large circle. These rides on the London Eye are called flights and offer great views of the city and mild thrills for those afraid of heights. A flight on the London Eye will last about 30 minutes taking you to a height of 135 metres. Children under 5 go free but do require a ticket and children aged under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ years. Any children on a Champagne Flight will be served fruit juice instead of alcohol. No adults aged under 18 years are permitted on a Cupid’s Capsule.

London Zoo-I have always loved zoos. Kids love zoos, too. Next Easter The London Zoo will be launching its new Children's Zoo. This exhibit will provide thousands of children with the chance to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, smells and experiences of life in the animal kingdom. Winnie the bear once lived in London Zoo and became Winnie the Pooh.

Syon House and Gardens-Described by Sir John Betjeman as 'the Grand Architectural Walk', Syon House and its 200 acre park is the London home of the Duke of Northumberland, whose family have lived here for over 400 years. Syon House is widely featured in the Robert Altman feature film Gosford Park and has also appeared in The Madness of King George, The Wings of the Dove, Emma, The Golden Bowl and The Avengers.

Tower of London-The Tower of London an amazing place filled with all kinds of fun stuff. There are Beefeaters in loudly coloured clothing and Ravens here and there. The Crown Jewels are very pretty. There are suits of armor and lots of weapons of one sort or another. The Tower of London is big-so there is a lot of room to roam around and look at all the cannons and stone walls. The Tower of London is a great place for kids of all ages.

London's Transportation Museum-London Transport Museum explores the heritage of London and its transport system, and the stories of the people who have travelled and worked in the city over the last 200 years. The Museum's collections include original artworks and posters-and more than 80 road and rail vehicles in its collection. There is also an impressive assortment of toys and models.

National Maritime Museum-The National Maritime Museum comprises three sites: the Maritime Galleries, the Royal Observatory and the Queen's House. The Museum's beautiful setting in the Greenwich World Heritage Site, with its array of historical and hi-tech architecture, its stunning views over London and the Thames and its position on 0º longitude offer an unrivalled set of visitor attractions.

Natural History Museum-When I was a kid it was the Dinosaurs that always got my attention at a Natural History Museum and the dinos here are pretty amazing. Set in an old Victorian building with walkways set at Dinosaur eye level, the Central Hall helps make this a great museum. London's Natural History Museum has more to offer than dinosaurs-70 million items collected over 400 years.

Kew Gardens-Kew has all kinds of gardens and activities to keep children entertained. There is a Tree Top Walk where you climb 18 meters up and get a great view of Kew. For the kids who like insects there is a Stag Beetle Loggery, home to many of Britain’s largest native beetles – males can grow up to 50mm. The Waterlily Pond has a lot of ducks and coots. Temerate House and Palm House are great glass houses which bring back the age of Victoria.

Top Ten London Markets

Shopping is one the good things to do in London. London markets have all kinds of odds and ends and whatnots. My favorite markets were around Camdem Lock-where I saw everything from books to leather goods to clothing of all sorts. Different London Markets have different items for sale, but they all that thrill of the hunt. You can never be sure what you'll find in a London Market, but it is always fun looking.

Bermondsey Street and Long Lane-Bermondsey Street lies to the South of London Bridge in a historic residential part of North Southwark. Bermondsey Market is an excellent destination to rummage through trestle tables of silver and china, with Victorian cups and saucers starting at £25. Prices are on the high side, but haggling is standard practice.

Camden Market-Camden Lock Market, by the canal, was the original craft market, established in 1974. Now the Market has a much wider spectrum of goods on sale. Both this and the ever popular Camden Stables Market - centre of the alternative fashion scene, Camden (Buck Street) Market and Inverness Street Market - which thrived on local trade long before tourists discovered Camden, are all open, at least in parts, every day, making the area well worth a mid-week visit. I really liked the whole area, but then, I love junk shops.

Spitalfield Market-London's Old Spitalfield markets is a live link to London's colourful and rich past. The markets are open throughout the year whatever the weather, with something for everyone. Don't let the winter weather put you off. There are bargains, plenty of refreshment stalls and cafes to fill the day. And in the summer there's a fun, holiday atmosphere.

Covent Garden-Open from 3 AM-11 AM, New Covent Garden Market is the largest fresh produce market in the UK. It plays a unique role in London's market provision supplying fruit, vegetables, flowers, plants and many other catering needs. Customers include leading chefs and florists, restaurants and hotels, schools and hospitals. Eliza Doolittle would be proud to see that they still sell so many flowers. It's a serious market.

Greenwich-Another great London Market established as a fruit-and-vegetable market in 1700, and granted a royal charter in 1849. The glass-roof market now offers arts & crafts Friday through Sunday-and antiques and collectibles on Thursday and Friday. Shopping for crafts is a pleasure, as you're often buying directly from the artist.

Brick Lane Market-Almost anything can be found on Brick Lane, from antique books to eight-track cartridge decks (for many years it hosted a stall selling nothing but rusty cog wheels). A large part of its charm is the possibility of such strange discoveries and it has always been popular with and much photographed by art students. Bargain hunters from across London also value it greatly.

Columbia Road Market-This London Market is in operation every Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm. Traders arrive from 4 am every Sunday morning to set up their stalls. A wide range of plants, bedding plants, shrubs, bulbs and freshly cut flowers are available at competitive prices. The market also has a number of shops selling bread and cheeses, antiques and garden accessories. There are also a number of outlets selling unusual international edibles, soap, candlesticks and Buddhist artefacts.

Portobello Road Market-This London Market is all about the Antiques. Market days start gradually from around 5.30am with trading between dealers from the UK and overseas. Most stall holders have arrived by 8.00am and the market is in full swing for the rest of the day, with collectors and visitors from all over the world. The shops and stalls of Portobello Road offer an extraordinary variety of goods ranging in price from a few pounds to several thousands.

Riverside Walk Market-Literature fans should make a beeline for this market in front of the National Film Theatre. It specialises in books, old and new, and is right next to the Thames for scenic value. Good for pretending to be incredibly clever and poetic as you eye up the passing talent.

Camden Passage-In the early 1960s with the assistance of local shops owners, antiques markets were created from bomb sites and arcades of small shops were built. Antique dealers soon flocked to the area creating the unique antiques village which presently boasts around 350 dealers specialising in a vast range of stock sitting comfortably in its Georgian surroundings. Main market and trading days are Wednesdays and Saturdays

London and The High Seas

There is a lot of naval history and world history in London. The River Thames makes London a natural place for watery adventures. Spend a day following the Maritime attractions of London.

Take the 45 minute boat ride from Westminster Pier to Greenwich. No trip to London is complete without at least a short ride on the River Thames. The sights of the city line the shoreline and have a different character when seen from the deck of a boat. You'll past the H.M.S. Belfast, well worth a visit, and see the Tower of London. There is a chance that you'll have a chatty boat Captain who will point out the many odd and interesting things along the way-they like you to tip for this service. The River Thames is a busy place and the day we rode the river there was a boat moured next to the H.M.S. Belfast-our chatty Captain told that he knew nothing about this ship as it had just come in that morning, but he could tell us a bit about H.M.S. Belfast.

Greenwich is the home of Flamsteed House, the former home of the Royal Observatory. The Queens House is here, which was the model for the White House in Washington, D.C. The Cutty Sark is here as well.

Cutty Sark- Cutty Sark has travelled across the world, sailing under both the Red Ensign and the Portuguese flag, visiting every major port in the world through the course of her working life. Seems the Cutty Sark is closed at the moment for renovation and will be reopening in 2010.

Queen's House-The 17th-century Queen's House represents a turning point in English architecture. It now showcases the National Maritime Museum's fine-art collection and provides a unique venue for weddings, corporate and private events.

Trafalgar Tavern-In Victorian London there was one pub that represented the best of Britain’s naval might and cultural standing. A place where William Gladstone and Charles Dickens could be seen dining side-by-side. An oasis away from the industrial sprawl, but yet at the centre of an Empire. Exactly 170 years later the Trafalgar Tavern still stands in the Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site, and it remains one of London’s most essential public houses.

Thames Flood Barrier- Together with the Barking Barrier and significant gates at the entrances to the old Royal Docks, the Thames Barrier is currently the responsibility of the Environment Agency's Thames Region. On the north bank of the Thames and with stunning views of the awesome flood Barrier lies a jewel in the crown of London's parks-Thames Barrier Park. Set within 22 acres of lawns, trees and uniquely contoured Yew and Maygreen hedges you can discover the delights of this urban oasis.

London Best UK City-Well, Duh

"Tourism is key to the capital's economy and it's vital that we remain ahead of the competition attracting visitors from around the world all year round."-London Mayor Boris Johnson

London has been named as the UK's best city to visit by the readers of Conde Nast Traveller magazine.

Beating off competition for destinations such as Edinburgh and Bath, London reached the top spot due to the standard of its cultural attractions, nightlife and restaurants. Though it is not the cleanest-Durham-not the friendliest-Glasgow, people still preferred London this year.

London does get a bit more US press than any of the other UK cities on the list. The Fox show Bones had it's season opener set in London and they talked about how it was good luck to see the bridge open on the Tower Bridge. Which I had not heard before-but it was a cute bit for the story as the bridge opened behind them when they weren't looking.

London is often the back drop of great movies and TV Shows. What kid didn't grow with Mary Poppins floating over the rooftops of London or take a flight with Peter Pan flying by Big Ben on his way to Never Never Land? From Sherlock Holmes to Dr Who, London always seems to be where the action is.

Of course, the real world London and all the countless London Attractions make for a great trip. Not that I wouldn't take a side trip to any or all of the other Top Ten UK Cities, one of my regrets from our last trip was that we didn't made a trip to Liverpool and visit all those Beatles sites. Of course, London has it's own share of things to do with the Beatles. Just one more reason London is best.

TOP 10 UK CITIES

1. London
2. Edinburgh
3. Liverpool
4. Durham
5. Glasgow
6. Oxford
7. Bath
8. Manchester
9. Leeds
10. Cambridge

London Festival of Architecture 2008

London Festival of Architecture-there is a lot of great architecture in London-so they are spending a full month talking about some of London's greatest buildings. I like all kinds of Festivals and you have to love one that wants everything to be Fresh. Like fresh food, events will include a continuous picnic through Bloomsbury, growing projects across London and demonstrations and exhibitions about urban agriculture at Cheapside Market.

The London Festival of Architecture invites people to Take a Fresh Look at London. The central theme of 'fresh' is reflected in series of events that cover all five Festival Hubs. The LFA Fresh Flower pavilion designed by Tonkin Liu Architects will serve as a mobile platform for Fresh Thinking talks; the National Architecture Student Festival showcases Fresh Talent from a dozen universities; a series of expert design workshops will take a Fresh Approach to some of London's lost quarters; our guided walks and cycle rides encourage people to explore the city in the Fresh Air; and talks about Fresh Food and urban agriculture accompany a series of urban allotment installations and a public picnic.

During the Festival month, the buzz of activity will move across five key areas or 'Hubs' of central London, with large-scale public events taking place in a different Hub each weekend. Each of the Hubs covers an area with a very different character - historic, present and future – and full of different institutions and activities.

All in all it looks like a lot of cool stuff going on. But then it is in London, so it has to be cool, right? The London Festival of Architecture things of interest:

Wallpaper magazine is hosting Hauswork, a series of talks on the 21st-century townhouse.

The French art collective Exyzt is transforming Southwark Lido into conceptual Roman baths.

Scott King, former art director at i-D magazine, is creating an installation on hoardings in SE1.

David Chipperfield is lecturing on the King's Cross masterplan.

Screening the City is a series of films celebrating architecture.