London Travel Guide
Tags: History Travel / History / Big Ben / Parliament / Bongs / → All Tags
Great Bongs of the World: Big Ben Turns 150
The London bell known as Big Ben turns 150 years old this year, giving writers around the world license to use the word bong in dozens of news stories. After all, bong describes the sound this famous bell makes throughout the day, striking the musical note E every hour. Four other bells strike G sharp, F sharp, E, and B on the quarter hours, broadcasting the song Westminster Quarters throughout the Parliament grounds and beyond. How about those bongs?
Tags: Celeb Travel / → All Tags
Snoop: A First Class Mind Deserves a First Class Seat
As we reported last week, Snoop Dogg caused quite a ruckus in London as he and five of his gang-stars provoked a major dust-up in the Business Class British Airways lounge. Everyone ended up getting hauled off to the slamma', but they were subsequently released. No charges were filed.
Snoop returned to London yesterday to meet with British police and investigating the incident. We'd say Snoop better start making nice with Richard Branson and Virgin Airlines double quick, because a spokesman for British Airways reports that, "Snoop has been banned from future travel on the airline". Let him ride, yo!
Related Stories:
· Snoop Dogg Back to London to Face Police [AP]
Tags: Clubs / → All Tags
The Gardening Club in London
Monday night is one of those universal big city going-out wastelands. Tuesday through Saturday, there's guaranteed to be somebody out, and Sunday--well, that's just for alcoholics and rock-stars. But what to do if you're in London for only a few days and it's a Monday and, damn it, you want to drink? Head to The Gardening Club in Covent Garden and prepare to be rocked.
When we went there last week at about 9:30 pm on Monday, we had no idea who all the people boogying down were (okay, maybe grinding is the better term) and, frankly, we couldn't have cared less. We were simply thrilled to be in a bar with more than five people and settled into a corner table with a bottle of white wine.
Tags: London Pubs / Jaunted Field Trips / → All Tags
The Park Lane Hotel in London
While all of my friends spent Thanksgiving trying to broker peace amongst their families, I trekked off to London for a week of drinking (um, and sightseeing, too...honestly...) with my friends. In the name of research, no pub went ignored, no restaurant went unsampled. It's a tough job, but...
Jolie's London "research" post jump
Tags: Travel News / → All Tags
The Thames' Coke Problem
The whole of London, just like its beloved Kate Moss, might need to consider some time at Promises. The Telegraph reported yesterday that "So much cocaine is being used in London that traces of the white powdered narcotic can be detected in the River Thames."
The paper cited scientific research from a study it had commissioned that found that two kg of cocaine spill into the river each day after passing through user's bodies and through sewage treatment plants.
You thought London was expensive now? Wait until they start bottling the water of the Thames and selling it...
Related Stories:
· Cocaine Traces detected in River Thames [AFP]
Tags: Hotels / → All Tags
Brown's Hotel to Reopen
The famous Brown's Hotel in London is set to reopen on Dec. 12th after a 20-month, $33 million renovation. Set in the heart of Mayfair, the hotel is old-school, and has distinguished and refined feel. This is where the Roosevelt's spent their honeymoon and where Rudyard Kipling wrote 'The Jungle Book.'
The 11 Georgian townhouses containing 117 rooms have all been redone to reflect contemporary features (Wi-fi for one...) while still retaining English style. We can't wait to see it...
Related Stories:
· Comings and Goings [NY Times]
Tags: Travel News / → All Tags
Last Days for London's Routemaster
Sadly, London's famed Routemaster double-decker buses are being retired as of Dec. 9. They are keeping two of the 'tourist' routes but most everything else will be shut down and replaced with "two-part Bendy buses and by angular, modern two-story buses that have all the charm of a brick with wheels." The Routemasters weren't wheelchair accessible and became a liability problem with their high platforms.
Still, Londoners are upset. They've launched a campaign to save the Routemasters and have gotten 11,000 signatures on a petition to mayor Ken Livingstone.
Related Stories:
· British icon reaches the end of the line [USA Today]
· Save the Routemaster [Official Site]
Tags: Art / Travel News / → All Tags
Arts Unwrapped
Head to London Nov. 19th through Dec 4th and check out one of the 'largest open-studio events' in Europe. There's something really interesting about watching artists work and this is a great chance to see many in different areas surrounding London:
The first (Nov. 19 and 20) includes studios in Bow, Mile End, Hackney Wick and Wood Green; the second (Nov. 26 and 27) Holborn, Clerkenwell, the City, Hackney (including work by Clem Crosby, above, at Tannery Arts) and Islington; the third (Dec. 3 and 4) South London, Deptford and Ladbroke Grove.
Artists will include Gavin Turk (whose 'Nomad' is pictured above), Bridget Riley and David Austen among others. Information will be available about the event and studios shortly here. Another perk? Entrance to most are free.
Related Stories:
· Datebook: London [NY Times]
Tags: Museums / Adult Entertainment / → All Tags
London's Sex Museum
Time to loosen up a little more London...apparently the city will get its own sex museum/theme park which will open next spring near Piccadilly Circus.
Be assured that it won't be sleazy, but "an educational multimedia attraction that will teach visitors to become better lovers and provide valuable information about disease and sexual problems."
Interestingly it is right around the corner from the red light district (Soho). The $8.3 million dollar project will have both high-tech and interactive exhibits.
Related Stories:
· London to get sexual 'theme park' [Portsmouth Herald]
Tags: Travel News / → All Tags
London's River Roamer
If you're planning on visiting London and you're not a fan of the Underground or the double-decker buses, check out the Thames Clippers. They've launched two new boat services on the Thames and offer a "hop-on, hop-off" ticket called the River Roamer where you can go from St. Katharine's Pier (Tower of London) to Millbank Pier (Tate Britain) all for about $13.
There is also a 'Tate' boat service linking the two museums on a high speed catamaran service with indoor and outdoor seating and a drink service.
Related Stories:
· New Boats Roam London's River Thames [Globe & Mail]
Tags: Hotels / Deals / → All Tags
London's New easyHotel
Want to go to London but can't afford a hotel? Check out the newly debuted easyHotel. Founded by Stelios, the Greek self-described "serial entrepreneur" and founder of the EasyGroup (easyJet, easyCruise, assorted other easy products), the hotel is strictly no-frills, but you can get a clean, private room for about $35 a night.
By no-frills we mean it's smaller then a ship's cabin at 9 x 10 feet (above) with basically a bed and bathroom and no space in between. You can opt for a room with a window, a daily cleaning service and a tv remote for additional charge. Don't expect any bonuses like toiletries or a hair dryer, but hey, you get what you pay for. It's a four-story affair with no elevator also, so pack light. But the location is great--steps from the tube and a 15 min. walk from Kensington/Knightsbridge.
The easyHotel website also allows you to book regular hotels in London and other cities for supposedly reduced rates.
Related Stories:
· Hotels just got 'Easy' [Frommers]
· easyHotel [Official Site]
Tags: Celebs / → All Tags
The Paris' and St. Paul's
Forget the Olympics, the biggest news for London today involves Paris & Paris' upcoming nuptuals. Apparently, Paris (female) has decided she would like to host her wedding ceremony at either St. Paul's Cathedral (where Charles & Di tied the knot), Westminster Abbey (burial place of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots) or Windsor Castle and has proposed the idea to the sheepish Prince Charles.
As reported in the NY Post, it looks like somebody owes somebody a favor:
She told the Prince of Wales that ever since she was a little girl she had dreamed of being "a princess" on her wedding day. I suppose Paris feels this request is reasonable since her Greek father-in-law-to-be lent his yacht to Charles for his honeymoon with Camilla.
Paris was also quoted in Hello! magazine as saying "I'm the closest thing to American royalty anyway." [via The Superficial]
We think she might be getting just a touch ahead of herself.
If you are in London this summer and would like to preview the proposed wedding sites, check out the previously mentioned London Walks which does super tours of St. Paul's and the Abbey. We're sure Paris would value your input.
Related Stories:
· Paris, Paris and More Paris [NY Post]
· Walk All Over London [Jaunted]
