How many of you have been to London ?

😆

LHS – Member
Sorry, that is still completly mental.

£11 for congestion charge
Probably £10 in fuel for sitting there for 2.5hrs
If you actually put a value on your time, say nominally £20/hr – that’s £50.

That’s more than the cost of the service of the bike just to transport it there.

😆

Yo! Chillax Bro’s
😆

It was a pain, my pain, nice watching all the girlies off home and folks off to the pubs/bars and cafes whilst sitting in the van. And theres no way I’m draggin my bloody bike around Town.. Embarasing enough riding the thing as is 😆

just the knackered wheel? although dragging the bike up and riding back would have been doable, and you skip all the traffic.

Spent a fair few hours on top of various landmarks with work eg

Top of Park Lane Hilton Hotel (33 storey):

VectaStar Access Points on Hilton Hotel Roof by brf[/url], on Flickr

On top of the Savoy
Savoy RT view to Hilton Hub site by brf[/url], on Flickr

Westminster Abbey from roof of QEII Conf Centre
Westminster Abbey by brf[/url], on Flickr

V&A from roof of Science Museum
Roof of V&A Museum by brf[/url], on Flickr

See the miserable Londoners on a Saturday night, look how unhappy they all are at their expensive Soho coffee shop!

I’m approaching 50 and I’ve been to that there London approx a dozen times (maybe 20/25 if you want to stretch it stopping off at Heathrow, etc., for flight connections).

First time was mid 80’s and was primarily a retail experience (although I did catch Elvin Jones at Ronnie Scotts). I was supposed to be down for 10-12 days but I ended up going home around 7 as I’d had enough. Spent all my money, fed up with the crowds (esp on the tube), black snots and hard water…

I’ve only been back on ‘pleasure’ visits for gigs (Sonic Youth, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Gillian Welch, all of which were excellent and well worth the effort), or for work (training courses, etc., a couple of meetings and once for a whistle stop tour of 4 or 5 Renal Departments, boy that was a bundle of laughs I can tell you).

I’ve even had to transition between Kings Cross and Waterloo (& vice versa) once as the (now ex) GF wouldn’t fly and we wanted to go to Italy…. The tube was shit but at least I understood the signage (unlike in Paris where we ended up walking between Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon with our luggage, oh boy that was fun).

Latterly I’ve stayed with a mate in Crystal Palace, stayed ‘local’ and only ventured into ‘town’ for the gig and occaisional shopping foray which made the experience much more enjoyable.

On the whole I’d rather go to Berlin than London (but I’d rather London than Paris…).

To be fair though, I’m country chiel at heart…

Been a few times to clubs and bars and gigs and stuff like that. Spent a bit with my cuz who lives near Slough, and we spent a few weeks one summer going in almost daily. It’s cool there’s a lot going on, but I don’t know if I’d want to live there really

I’d go back tomorrow…..providing I could double my salary. Which was pretty much why I left. Love the city, can’t really afford to live there.

Thats an interesting point. How do people see London developing? It often seems to an outsider, just reading about it, that its being increasingly turned into a playground for the rich. And that even people on what would anywhere else, be considered good salaries, are being driven out. My sister earns what outside London would be a frankly enormous salary. So does her husband. Having their second kid, they recently looked at moving to a bigger house. Another bedroom would have put £250-300,000, minimum onto their already mahoosive mortgage. And that was taking into account moving to a less desirable area.

It seems to me its being socially cleansed of the ‘lower orders’ who are being progressively shipped out, and bussed in to provide services for the rich, earning minimum wage. I really don’t know how anyone not on a really high income can live there any more. Its not just housing and transport costs. Everything is just so much more expensive. Its bonkers!

Surely its these very people who are responsible for giving the city the vibrancy and creativity that are meant to be its core appeal? Ferrying Russian oligarchs from their multi-million pound apartments to Michelin starred restaurants doesn’t sound very vibrant to me. Though this was exactly the benchmark Boris used to class London as a true world class city. What percentage of people are able to nip out of an evening to a Michelin Starred restaurant?

Surely its impossible to maintain the multiculturalism, vibrancy etc of the capital when so many are simply priced out of the place

In answer to the OP

Age 56

Been to London quite a lot , but can’t tell you how many times that is.

Some times for day trips for 1 off events, Football and concerts mainly
Other times for a few days,
Longest stay was 6 nights for the Olympics.
Average stay is 2 – 3 nights, any more and I get a bit tired of it and feel the need to head back home.

I like the place but only in small doses and could never imagine living there although I can see the attraction if you have the right mindset.

The one thing I do envy is the whole public transport system, yes, I know the tube gets crowded but you only have approx a 5 minute wait at most for the next one !
If I miss the train from Harrogate to Leeds I have at least 30 minutes to wait for the next one 🙁

I do like wandering around and finding the slightly odd and/ or interesting places I come across that way and there is always plenty to see

Museums and Galleries seem to take a lot of my time on most visits although last time I went to the National Gallery for the first time and have to confess I found myself thinking of the Emporers new clothes rather a lot,
Some wonderful landscapes but a lot of the rest left me sure I had seen better elsewhere

unfitgeezer – Member

… but how many of you have been to London ?

I have many times.

What’s your age ?

Older than you.

How many times to London ?

Many times long time ago.

Never ? once every 26 years ?

For the last 5 years never because I can fly direct from GeordieLand instead of Heathrow.

Why do people moan about visiting ?

Because it’s expensive or shite depending on where you are.

For me born in possibly the best city in the world…

Yes, home city is always the best regardless of how shite it can be as our bias set in.

🙂

Edit: damn … just remember I need to book a flight down to London a day trip.

46 – been there too many times to remember – mostly with work, for meetings at architect’s and client’s offices.

Out of work, some of my best memories were made in London – Paralympics with the family, The London Eye on my boy’s birthday, Science Museum, again with the family, The Proms at Albert Hall, various live gigs through the years.

Couldn’t live there though. The lack of countryside would drive me bonkers

it depends on whether you’ve had personal experience of living there doesn’t it – if you were in a position to enjoy it without dependants and/or with disposable income then you’d say it’s great

but those without an emotional tie to it or without a (£££) good reason to relocate there sees the infrastructure and cost of living and thinks ‘no thanks’ even though there are clearly good things about living there

Ironically my impression of londoners is coloured by those who come to Manchester and slag it off when they are here, it’s as though there is some kind of ‘london is the hallowed land and everywhere else is second class’ brainwashing – I challenge this with the response ‘why aren’t you in london then’ and they get very shirty, but thankfully there aren’t many like this

Ironically my impression of londoners is coloured by those who come to Manchester and slag it off when they are here, it’s as though there is some kind of ‘london is the hallowed land and everywhere else is second class’ brainwashing – I challenge this with the response ‘why aren’t you in london then’ and they get very shirty, but thankfully there aren’t many like this

that goes both ways though doesn’t it, plenty of folks living/working in london with strong regional accents bigging up their home cities to which i offer the similar response of ‘why are you here then if it’s wonderful up there?’

actually Manchester and Birmingham are about the only cities where much like London people seem to want to just get on with what they are doing without worrying about what others think, always look forward to visiting which is not something i can say about most big conurbations in this country which seem to be full of small minded jingoists asking you what team you support and if you want a fight.

LHS – Member

That’s just mental, why not go to a more local bike shop?

&

nedrapier – Member

Or walk!

Or take your back wheel off and take it in on the DLR/Central line.

Nah, bike in for a service too and pulling the bike along with the dished wheel for 4 miles would have meant a skid every meter or so and progress would have been slower than the van.

Or bus direct from CW then a quick stroll up the end of Old Street. No way would I willingly choose to drive from CW at 17:30

worked there for a couple of years. occasionally go there on a night out, but would never work there again and would never live there. shithole!

Down there fairly regularly. Always find it a bit hot and sweaty for my tastes, but the thing that really surprises me is how scruffy it is.

I’ve never lived there. It would have been good to live there in my 20s, but not now. It’s no town for grown ups.
All my friends who did live and work there left when they got married or started families. I can understand why.

Still lots of people seem to like it so what do I know.

igm – Member

Still lots of people seem to like it so what do I know.

I never understand London at all.

I was only there for these:

1. To work.
2. To see my friends.
3. To experience it myself of how bad the place is.

😯

Got back to the car and had to get the bank card out as it cost £27 to park

😯
Bloody hell, the most I pay is £17, from around midday to 11.30-midnight, depending, and I wince at paying that, although it’ll cost more to park for the afternoon in Bristol.
I park in King’s Mall, Hammersmith, ‘cos it’s a quick stroll to the tube, and easy to get back to the M4 from there.

Heading to Dublin tomorrow. Spending 10 days on the Emerald Isle, then hopping over to London. Can’t friggin’ wait! Fathers, hide your daughters!

metalpedal – Member
Can’t friggin’ wait! Fathers, hide your daughters!

You know you have to have a second language to pull? Yes! 😆

binners – Member
How do people see London developing? It often seems to an outsider, just reading about it, that its being increasingly turned into a playground for the rich. And that even people on what would anywhere else, be considered good salaries, are being driven out

To give a little background, may help, may not… (.)
MrsBouy bought one of the first Appts in a converted Wharf when Canary Wharf was first going up. So 26 years ago it cost £81k.. Now it’s worth 7x that. she (we’ve) been put ever since we met 20 yrs ago. If we looked at similar now we’d be pushing to get something similar for under £800k, we’re not going to do that, nope Sir’ee.
We, certainly she, has seen massive development and housing since she’s been here, CW’s gone up and is developing more, more offices are going up, 6 in construction at present all in this teeny space they have here. But East is a developing area, it’s the only way to go now. Further East along the A13/A2 you can see where there are pockets of development sites just being put in place, infrastructures going in too. In Town there are more massive high rise office developments going up, some being knocked down to make way for even bigger spaces. It’s quite mad, hop on your bike and ride the City and you’ll see all the work going on like theres no end to the money flowing in.
Thats the thing with London, money just flows in. It comes from everywhere. Cultures changing though, certainly more Chinese here than in the last 12mths, looks like thats not going to end soon, maybe in 10 years perhaps. Then theres the Young folk who can’t get on the property ladder.. Rents IRO £1kpcm normal, not to bad if both working or you’ve a good job. Thats about what a Mortgage would cost anyhoo, and that’s another thing.. Rentals are increasing, property is changing focus from Buying to Renting and the culture will only grow. Landlords who invested back in 08’ will be laughing both sides of the fence.
I can see the “playground for the rich” analogy, it’s certainly here. More uber expensive sportscars on the road now than ever I’d say. I’ve a mate who’s just sold a Maclaren £300k’s worth for £275k after a years ownership and he’s just bought another in Orange. He’s bloody loaded, lives in Clerkenwall, divorced, remarried, works for the biggest Russian Bank and laughs at me riding bikes.. Nearly all my mates are very well off, some have chased the markets, some inherited, some worked bloody hard for it either way they can’t understand living anywhere else than here, they may school their kids in the provinces, but live here.
There are many places I’d live, many more I’d rather not live.

Spent a bit with my cuz who lives near Slough

@emz this is a thread about London 8)

He’s bloody loaded, lives in Clerkenwall

There is a statement in itself

I’m 44 and I’ve been quite a few times (20 maybe?), never longer than 3 days.
A few years ago I’d have rejected the idea of living there out of hand, I’ve probably mellowed on that a little bit but not to the point I’d actively seek to live there. Realistically I couldn’t afford it anyway!

I lived in London for 14yrs and go there most weeks now. I could live without London no problem but riding round on my Brompton is still fun.

My in-laws are in there 70’s and visited us once when we lived in south London and that was the only time they had been. Never that bothered with traveling, never been abroad. The Mrs loves traveling 🙂

I really like visiting London, great stuff to look around etc but the lifestyle doesn’t really suit me – like the green stuff and my own space too much.

I am not one of these people that will think your a dick for living there as I a can see how it is appealing, especially when you are young.

I think raising a family would come with huge challenges in London, especially if you didn’t have support.

40, lived there for 15 years, been out of it for 3.

It’s a cool place to work, its a cool place to ride a bike around, there’s a zest, a business to it that can be quiet addictive. There’s also some truly great buildings, many of which I’ve been lucky enough to work in – quiet a few of which aren’t open to the public.

That said, it sucks to live there (especially if you’re into the outdoor world). I used to spend all my spare time and money getting away from the place.

I now live oop north, get fantastic riding on my doorstep, but spend a day or 2 each week back in t’smurk working, so kinda the best of both worlds in a way (although sometimes it feels like the worst of both worlds).

(The pollution is no where bad as it was when I first moved there, and the traffic is very bike accepting these days)

Very true MrSmith – Mancunians are ridiculously proud of their city and if you transplanted them to elsewhere they would be vocal about it, case in point is Morrissey who lives in LA but you’d think he still lives in Harpurhey the way he carries on 🙂 FWIW I’m not a born manc I came here for university and stayed and I like it, I would imagine that Geordieland or Glasgow or somewhere else would have the same effect

actually Manchester and Birmingham are about the only cities where much like London people seem to want to just get on with what they are doing without worrying about what others think, always look forward to visiting which is not something i can say about most big conurbations in this country which seem to be full of small minded jingoists asking you what team you support and if you want a fight.

I used to get sent to Wolverhampton for work and this was the overriding experience there, football brings out some mnetal behaviour in otherwise reasonable people…

I came down for work in 2010 as some people know.

the first 6 months I was in bounds green – it was shit

After that I moved just outside the M25 and although I miss ‘proper hills’ and ‘proper mountain biking’ I’ve got to say I love the place.

It offers me cultural opportunities I would never get elsewhere in the UK. 20 mins into town and from there I can be anywhere central in 15 minutes – I can go to gigs on a whim, I’ve been to the opera and ballet many times, galleries and museums are free and very good indeed

There a mind boggling array of things to do on any given day. lots of it is free or cheap

If I head away from town there are, to my surprise, lovely countryside and villages, lots of places where a singlespeed is perfect.

Its not the city that’s the issue, its your attitude towards it.

That said if I could have the same thing in Paris I’d go there

small minded jingoists asking you what team you support and if you want a fight

Pretty much sums up why I left Newcastle for Manchester. That and the fact you weren’t allowed in anywhere in Newcastle for a drink unless you were wearing the macho lad uniform of shirt, trousers, and shoes. I still go back to Newcastle a lot and even 20 years later receive abuse for ‘talking posh’ and being a ‘traitor’.

Went as kid to see the Tutankhamen exhibition. I think I went in my late teens as a school trip to the theatre but maybe not and I did go once about 12 years ago to help my brother unload some gates he had made for the Explorers Club.
I would like to go to the Imperial War museum but not enough to deal with the travel. Other wise I see nothing for me that can’t be found in the hills and woods. Shops I loathe and ditto most people. Museums, see above and music has never been my thing.

38 and been in London for 14 years. Although I grew up in the sticks, am country boy at heart and from farming stock I doubt I’ll ever leave, at not least while I’m still working. The main benefit of London is the type of work that I get to do which doesn’t happen out there (points at the ‘here be dragons’ bit on the map) and the varied, interesting and talented mix of people I get to work and socialise with.

As with most people who live here, I too make very little use of the tourist facilities or the central shopping bit, venturing up there maybe once or twice a year. The bits around the edges are far more exciting.

I’ll also echo LHS’ comments on Barnes, really lovely place. I lived there for 7 years and if I could afford the £1m+ average house price I’d still be there now. Unfortunately I can’t, so South London it is.

apologies if someone has already quoted Mr Shelley:

Hell is a city much like London.

Still, I find it odd that he’s not even curious. The scale of the place, it’s buildings, the mass of humanity that throng the tube, Oxford St and the like – it’s worth seeing at least once in your life, even if you decide its shit.

Can’t argue with that.

I’m 58 & have been 5 times.
Twice with school when I was a kid & can’t remember much.
Once with my dad to see the World Speedway final at Wembley. Enjoyed that
Once with my ex wife to see Joseph & His Tecnicolour Waistcoat. Didn’t enjoy that.
Las time was 1994 to see Pink Floyd at Earls Court. That was fantastic but didn’t spend much time there after the show.

My son lives there & loves it so I’m going with an open mind but I think what I won’t like is lots & lots of people. Don’t ‘do’ crowds but my Mrs REALLY wants to go & I drag her up to Scotland every year so It’s only fair that I try & stay unmiserable. 😀

I grew up in West Kensington/Notting Hill/Sheperds Bush. West Kensington sounds posh, but it most certainly wasn’t in the 70’s. They were just knocking down the last of the terraced housing from the 1850’s, when it was occupied by the “criminal class”, the victorians had maps showing what class of people lived where. Played in the ruins, and saw the Sweeney being filmed around there, Dad worked at BBC television centre(no, his name isn’t rolf harris), even still had rag and bone men in a steptoe and son stylee.

Moved out to Kingston upon thames, and am still in the neighbourhood. I think I have the best of both worlds relatively speaking, 25 minutes in each direction on the train and I’m in central London or out in the Surrey Hills. The house is now worth six times more than what I paid for it in the nineties(I’m a dollar millionaire :lol:), which reflects the complete lunacy of property prices across London.

This idiot of a Mayor has spent more time attracting “Foreign investment”(marketing property) which can now be seen altering Londons skyline with tower blocks, and very little time on affordable housing, and I really wish someone would take up Ripleys suggestion when it comes to the city of London and “nuke the site from orbit.”

Good: Multicultural, bucket loads of things to see and do,
Bad: Definately being socially cleansed, stupid prices.

I have never visited madame tussauds, gone on the London eye, or the Tower of London.

I’ve been a few times to visit. I have a younger brother who moved there to ‘do the whole London thing’. I’m still not sure what that is but it appears to involve red trousers and incorrectly wearing jumpers as shawls. I have been to watch the rugby a few times at Twickenham, which from what I could overhear is the ‘HQ’ of the organisation in charge of ‘the London thing’.

Some of the food is nice, and I quite like some of the architecture and the museums. Walking about is a right pain in the hoop though. It’s all big steps then little steps and big steps and little steps. You just can’t get going properly.

Wrong thread!

Not my favourite place, loads of traffic, too many Boris Island entrapment camera’s for those unfamiliar with the roads and locals. That said I have a biased view as I tend to work in the scummier area’s at unsocial hours so don’t really see the nice bits.

Oxford Street turns yer bogeys black

^^^ Not only – I used to visit Wood Green, Streatham, Balham, Brick Lane and TCR areas, three days max, always used to blow black snot out of nose once back in the Shire, unhappily showing the befouled tissue to anyone in the vicinity. ‘See that!! That’s London that is!’

Nonetheless always enjoy jaunts there to see stuff, party, gigs, be with friends etc. Live there? Not for me, but quite like the romance of the place. Mrs Rider lived there as a girl ( at one time next door to Kensington Palace) and says she has no desire to live in London ever again. Too many hustlers, sociopaths, narcissistic, selfish, self-absorbed and often dangerous people concentrated there. But I suppose you could say that about most cities?

After 3 days visiting, I too get the ‘itch’. Come for the thrills, then run for the hills!

Seldom lived there but have worked there in a few careers over the years including my own design studio in Soho in the 80s. Love it still but after a day or two I’m happy to leave.