Search And Destroy - London Tourist Attractions

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It's the one aspect of London we haven't discussed, isn't it? The huge tourist-grabbers - Tower of London, Natural History Museum, Madame Tussauds, The Planetarium, St. Pauls...which are a credit to the nation and which make you shudder? And what do any ACTUAL TOURISTS reading this think, too?

― Tom, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

SEARCH!

DESTR OY! (especially on 80 degree days)

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i want to see the eye
how is the new globe

― anthony, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I haven't been to the Tower of London since I was a child. There's a tv series about it on at the moment and it makes me want to go again. It's one of the few really old buildings left in London and it would be nice to just wander round and try to tune into that, but there are just too many people tramping through. I suspect it would be very frustrating.

My favourite museums: The Geffrye, the Transport Museum, the London Museum. And I really like the little museum in the cloisters at Westminster Abbey (assume it's still there), which has royal death masks and old clothing and footwear amongst other things.

― David, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

has anyone actually been to the barnet museum?

― gareth, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

is it in barnet or is it a monument to your hair gareth?

― mark s, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

One day I shall be the curator

This place is a bit of a dump though, so I hear.

― DG, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I will only go to Westminster Abbey when they have erected a special Quatermass memorial.

― DG, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

the london eye. this is brilliant and made by skoda

― ambrose, Tuesday, 2 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I want to see Gareth's hair museum. And then call him Gazza for the hell of it.

― Nicole, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Search: Tower of London for Anne Boleyn's spot and cool Beefeater dudes

Destroy: "Whaddya say we...bag this?"- Dad, after a small eternity watching the Changing of the Guards ceremony in front of Buckingham (the marching band was playing "Puttin' on the Ritz", fer Godssake)

― Joe, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

search: The Tate Millbank. Walking down Whitehall from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square. In fact, walking from TCR to Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square to the Tate Millbank.

also search: The Imperial War Museum! tanks! airplanes! the holocaust! total excitement for all the family.

Destroy: For some reason, The British Museum tends to leaves me slightly disappointed. But it is nice to see the actual Rosetta Stone. And it's free in.

― DV, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Now summer is here, the tourists FLOCK in HORDES. Every lunchtime I have been asked for directions by a random Yank/Jap/Frenchie/GERMANG ect "wot iz ze vay to..." a) BUCKING-HAAAAAM PALACE b) The London Eye c) Charing Cross Pier d) Houses of Parliament e) Downing Street f) Trafalgar Square - ans to f) was YOU ARE STANDING IN IT!!!! - all of which I find quite amusing. The nearest attractions to my work are most of wot Dirty Vicar recommends hoorah! I like THE ANCIENT GIANT PHALLUS from Egypt (?) outside Embankment Gardens. The new Hungerford Bridge is also looking pretty SPANKING. The buildings and parks round here are all fab as well - so much so that they are shooting a MOVIE (LIGHTS! ACTION! CAMERA!) outside my work with lots of HOT CHICKS in OLD CARS dressed in 40s WAR UNIFORMS coo urr guvner.

I've never been to any of the places that Tom mentions though. I went on a trip round the Houses of Parliament for work (HEM HEM) which I found enjoyable and a tad COLD. Would have been better to see the parliamentary business itself but we went in recess. Well, obv, I supose. I can also see the London Eye when I eat my lunch. I'd like to go on it one day but remember gurls/blokes if you are that way inklined, DO NOT WEAR A SKURT or DRESS as it is ALL GLASS!!!

― Sarah, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

An actual tourist: Kew Gardens!! and I could look at oriental carpets etc. forever in Victoria & Albert. The Eye was also mindblowing. -Kristian (kristiannihlen@yahoo.se)

― Kristian Nihlén, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Sarah is clearly some kind of pervertalist who passes her lunch hours sitting under the London Eye looking up and hoping for an eyeful.

― Emma, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

ANyone been on the not-bouncing bridge yet? Completely U&K is the fakes and facsimiles hall at the V&A.

― Alan Trewartha, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

the barnet museum is in barnet and is only open for, like, 2 hours on a thursday and 1 hour on a tuesday or something. it is a tiny cottage. i have never been in, i just went past on the way to hospital once. my hair is quite boring these days you know. i had it cut last week, i look like someone who might hang around in burnley in 1982

― gareth, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Last time I was in London my brothers girlfriend woke me up at 9 or so and was like "come on we're going to show you all the sights, we have it all planned". She was taking the piss thank god. I think I saw them all when I was 6 or 7 but I can't remember. I've no desire to see them now really.

― Ronan, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Emma is korrekt. HOLD ON I don't need to sit under the Eye (of SAURON HHAHAHA OH NO oh that reminds me I must email Mark) for that when I haf loadsa gorgeous civil servants to scope NUM NUM. Oh dear. I AM NOW OFFICIALLY STARVING as I haven't eaten since yesterday lunchtime arrghhh. Am alternating between ENGLISH BREAKFAST SANDWICH or SALADY STUFF. Oh the decision etc..

― Sarah, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

What I really meant by fakes and facsimilies was the nearby cast courts, with full-size reproductions of David, Trajan's Column, LOADS of famous sights/sculptures/architectural art.

― Alan Trewartha, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I like THE ANCIENT GIANT PHALLUS from Egypt (?) outside Embankment Gardens.

people are always going on about how obelisks are phallic symbols.

does that mean that men other than me have square willies?

― DV, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I have been to the Barnet Museum. It is very, very dull (bit so farrows, a poster for Barnet Fayre - no space for inevitable stuffed Barnet Ape carcass).

― Pete, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

If I turn around I can see said GIANT PHALLUS, the London Eye and The HOP all in one go, I got bored of this excitement after a full five mins of moving into this office. It impresses the visitors who come in though, so I suppose it's worth the squillions paid in rent.
Best place in the world to do sightseeing is the Atonium in Brussels where they have a mini-model-europe. Cast eyes right for London, left for Paris. There... done. No need to clog up the streets and annoy the locals is there?

Err, Search: Nice quiet Green places (I consider Embankment gardens 'the countryside')
Destroy: All Tourists and their damned attractions.

― Simeon, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

British Museum: Old bits not very well displayed, new bits marvellous. Bizarre Tardis-like feel to reading room.

― Bill, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I am a tourist no matter where I go. I pose for pictures in front of the mall.

― Mandee, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Oh, and is there a decent wax museum in London? I start crying every time I remember I *didn't* find a wax museum in Denver last Saturday.

― Mandee, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Mandee there is the world-renowned MADAME TUSSAUD'S (sp?) which has as its recent additions Kylie Minogue and Graham Norton! it's pretty good from what i can remember aged 12 or so... but also v expensive by now i should imagine.

― katie, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

katie you are insane: mme tussauds = rubbish on million-metre stilts (even w/o graham norton!!)

― mark s, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I love Tate Modern - a great building, with lots of great art inside. And I go to the British Museum most weeks in a lunch hour, particularly to look at small Oriental items such as Chinese snuff bottles and Japanese inro (small lacquer medicine boxes).

Destroy St Paul's: an abominable mish-mash of incompatible styles, the mess only partly hidden and masked.

― Martin Skidmore, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

this thread title sounds suspiciously like orders to the luftwaffe

― fritz, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

it's a good thing the Queen Mum stayed in London during the blitz or they would've gotten away with it too!

― fritz, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Is The London Dungeon still going? That was like all the good bits of mme tussauds (ie the gore!) and none of the celeb crap.

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

awww come ON MarkS!! i haven't been there for 13 years! do you know of any other wax musuems in London?

― katie, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Tom, haven't done the "tourist trap" since I was a child, but I remember loving the Tower of London, just because twas gory. (My fave part was the dungeon;>)

The Hippodrome and Madame T's was just a bit too obvious. (Yeah, I know it _should be_, but where was the mystery, the fun;>?)

Never got inside Buckingham Palace, though. Is it worth it?

― Nichole Graham, Wednesday, 3 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

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