A Trip to London

[Parafox]

When I was 12 my dad took me to London and I was amazed by the place. The history, the sights, the very "being in a capital city" experience; seeing things I'd only ever read about. (this was 1967). the fact that the HM the Queen lived there and the Houses of Parliament, the soldiers on horse guards parade and... the Thames. I was enthralled. I was desperate to go back.

 

I went back with my parents a couple of years later for a week's stay, we did all the sights and tourist stuff and saw Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Bruce Forsyth as compere. It was easy and relatively crowd free.

 

I went back as a 25 yr old, driving myself and my girlfriend into central London a couple of times and it was still a thrilling place to go, even for a day.

 

I got married, adopted kids and thought it would be an experience for them to visit London as I had done as a boy. It was a different experience but still interesting and, I hoped as thrilling for my girls as it had been for me. They were nonplussed.

 

In recent years I've been back as a tourist and most recently, last weekend. The magic has long gone. It's overcrowded, impersonal, unpleasant, dirty, dangerous, tatty, over commercialised, expensive (15 pounds for 2 teas and 2 cakes in Covent Garden), unwelcoming and hardly an advert for "Britishness". I don't think I got served in the hotel or the bars we went to by a British person, from the time I parked my car to the time I got home. That's fine, but my childhood memories have been sullied by my recent experiences.

 

I'm reluctant to ever go back. 

 

I'd sooner visit a more tolerant and welcoming city than London... Prague, Krakow, Barcelona, Budapest. It would likely be cheaper, too.

[StanSP]

Racist. 

[Rogstanley]

Why would being served by British people have made any difference? What a weird thing to say.

 

You don't get many British people working in service industry jobs in London because the wages are low and it's such an expensive place to live that to make it work you'd need to live in a shared room. That's ok for young short term immigrants here for the experience and to make a quick buck, but it's not a viable long term career or lifestyle option so few British people will do it.

 

As for expensive, overcrowded and commercialised etc. I've never known it any other way.

Edited 23 March 2018 by Rogstanley

[SouthStandUpperTier]

[Izzy]

I think London is a great advert for 'Britishness' and is one of the most revered capital cities in the world. However, as I get older I find it harder to navigate my way through the chaos so I understand what Para means in that respect.

 

Recently I was fortunate to do some work with the Exec team of a five star hotel opposite the South Bank. I got the 'buzz' every time I visited and enjoyed my brief glimpse of the high life. In saying that, there's no way I'd want to commute into London everyday and I don't know how some people can do it year after year. 

 

I find London pretty cool in small doses but there's no way I'd want to live/work there full time. 

 

[Strokes]

London is shit.

[Webbo]

I think the last time I went London was for the Charity Shield. Going there as a tourist must have been around 10 years ago. I enjoyed it, bit of a rip off but you expect that.

[SpacedX]

I was born and partly raised there. I'm from London, not Leicester. There are some wonderful parts and there are some awful parts. The main thing that bothers me is the disappearance of old haunts with real character and pedigree either beneath the bulldozer, at the behest of an oligarch or at the whim of the developer...(particularly old clubs, venues and independent businesses); the gentrification over regeneration and prohibitive property prices. If you come from London today, you don't come from London. That - and the life threatening levels of pollution. 

[Unabomber]

Go to dishoom man 

[Tuna]

I've never really enjoyed London.

[fuchsntf]

50 minutes ago, Parafox said:

When I was 12 my dad took me to London and I was amazed by the place. The history, the sights, the very "being in a capital city" experience; seeing things I'd only ever read about. (this was 1967). the fact that the HM the Queen lived there and the Houses of Parliament, the soldiers on horse guards parade and... the Thames. I was enthralled. I was desperate to go back.

 

I went back with my parents a couple of years later for a week's stay, we did all the sights and tourist stuff and saw Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Bruce Forsyth as compere. It was easy and relatively crowd free.

 

I went back as a 25 yr old, driving myself and my girlfriend into central London a couple of times and it was still a thrilling place to go, even for a day.

 

I got married, adopted kids and thought it would be an experience for them to visit London as I had done as a boy. It was a different experience but still interesting and, I hoped as thrilling for my girls as it had been for me. They were nonplussed.

 

In recent years I've been back as a tourist and most recently, last weekend. The magic has long gone. It's overcrowded, impersonal, unpleasant, dirty, dangerous, tatty, over commercialised, expensive (15 pounds for 2 teas and 2 cakes in Covent Garden), unwelcoming and hardly an advert for "Britishness". I don't think I got served in the hotel or the bars we went to by a British person, from the time I parked my car to the time I got home. That's fine, but my childhood memories have been sullied by my recent experiences.

 

I'm reluctant to ever go back. 

 

I'd sooner visit a more tolerant and welcoming city than London... Prague, Krakow, Barcelona, Budapest. It would likely be cheaper, too.

Totally agree.No Matter how Some will try and be bias and patriotic,the Sites /Museums/Theater

are still top,but its grubby, service and Presentation downright poor,

and lost in weird entitlement expectation of the various Business presentations.

 

Worst Major City,in Europe to eat and Walk around.Some Pubs have Stepped Up,

others dived, some satelite fring Markets,still giving a decent faire of goods and food.

Standards have really dropped,and not so welcoming.Inner City council,downright degrading.

At the Moment IMO Russians can have it.

Though in the Late 70s,there were a Couple of excellent Late night Russian Music Restaurant/Clubs.

Big Business maybe done in London,but the City,hasnt Seen anything from it.

Capital punishment,Not Capital City.

 

 

 

 

[Stadt]

Soulless glass buildings can bore off, Battersea power station los awful nowadays.

[Jon the Hat]

It’s not that bad.  I work in Victoria most days, and there is a great buzz.

[Carl the Llama]

London is frankly shite and every second you can spend not being in London is a second well spent.

[CarbonVirtine]

Love the place. If I had truck loads of dosh, I'd be back there tomorrow - maybe that's the moral of the story.

 

I lived in central London for near on 20 years and got to know the place as my backyard. I learnt to adapt, work around the downsides to take advantage of what it can offer.  Happy days indeed.

[Illusion35]

I took my 9 year old daughter last school holidays and we enjoyed it. She was fascinated by the tube and by the huge mix of different people. Took her to the new Lego shop and watched some amazing street performers on the way there, then went to see Aladdin at one of the old theatres. Yes it was crazily busy but I remember it always being like that. She found seeing homeless people hard as it isn’t something she’s experienced in sleepy south leics and she had lots of questions about that, but didn’t stop her enjoying her day out. I wouldn’t like to live there as I find the crowds and noise too tiring, but think it’s still good to visit. 

[Rob1742]

I like it, but in short bursts. A couple of days, then leave it for a while. But the old British pubs, decent restaurants, some great hotels, Harrods etc.

 

I can’t do the tube, does my head in, but taxis a plenty, so easy to get around.

 

The buzz around Leicester Square and Chinatown, yeah it’s good, but short bursts as it’s hectic. 

[STEVIE B]

Nice place to visit, I wouldn’t want to live there. Been loads of times, always enjoyable. Spent a weekend in the east end recently, away from the tourist traps, had a great time. A lot of people l know just go to the west end and then moan about the expensive prices. 

[CarbonVirtine]

Re the tube, when I lived in London I pretty much walked everywhere. I got to know back streets and less populated routes between places. In fact, they became a necessity to me to protect my sanity. I fully admit that I lived in a bubble down there, a bubble not at all representative of most people's experience of the place. It's constant, 24/7 on the go; noise, people, traffic, pollution. The vibrancy is intoxicating but you need respite, hiding places. I found my balance and think of my time there with great fondness.   

[Countryfox]

I love London ...   its buzzing ...   so much to see and do and loads of old tucked away pubs, markets etc ...   always have a good time down there.    

[Merging Cultures]

When I was just home, I had a great time.

 

Dinner I went to La Gavroche. As good as you could imagine (except the miso cod. I can make that). On the way out, I went to Fishworks for lunch. Perfect for what I needed.

 

Did shopping in Jermyn St. and Piccadily you can't better the quality and value for money. I know it is expensive, but relatively speaking it isn't terrible. The cost of products and quality elsewhere isn't as good value.

 

I've worked in Victoria and Clerkenwell. I really enjoyed it. One day I might be back.

[Fox92]

Never enjoy going. I get the overcrowding bit, at the end of the day it's a Capital City, but I find people always seem in a hurry and/or are just ignorant. 

 

Only times I've been in recent years are for away days.

[Unabomber]

If you don't enjoy going to London then you haven't been to the right places.

[VLC86]

Always love a good trip to London. Go to see a show, decent restaurants, decent bars etc can’t beat it.

 

My credit card enjoys London a bit less than me though.

[VLC86]

6 hours ago, Merging Cultures said:

 

Dinner I went to La Gavroche.

Nice, was it a taster menu? Recommend it?