Anyone missing London ?
#16
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by kevinl
Been up town today.
Took the kids on the Eye and then a river cruise down to the Tower of London.
Looked around the Tower of London, not been since I was tiny.
Rained hard from when we left the house until we got in about an hour ago.
Cost £39 for the Eye , £42 to go around the Tower :scared: , £22 for the boat trip , £12 for the train (the only good value bit), £2.40 for the bus to the station which we normally walk to and takes 10 mins to walk but today it was raining hard.
Yesterday we went to Botany Bay, between Margate and Ramsgate, spent a couple of quid on petrol getting there, lovely weather great day out.
I guess my point is we only live half an hour from central London but who can afford to go and use the facilities often ?
Roll on better weather and free days out.
Kevin
Took the kids on the Eye and then a river cruise down to the Tower of London.
Looked around the Tower of London, not been since I was tiny.
Rained hard from when we left the house until we got in about an hour ago.
Cost £39 for the Eye , £42 to go around the Tower :scared: , £22 for the boat trip , £12 for the train (the only good value bit), £2.40 for the bus to the station which we normally walk to and takes 10 mins to walk but today it was raining hard.
Yesterday we went to Botany Bay, between Margate and Ramsgate, spent a couple of quid on petrol getting there, lovely weather great day out.
I guess my point is we only live half an hour from central London but who can afford to go and use the facilities often ?
Roll on better weather and free days out.
Kevin
They get a senior citizen ticket each day, for $3.50 each, and can use it anywhere in CBD, buses, ferry, river cat.. they LOVE IT!!!!!!!
#17
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,277
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by jad n rich
Agree with that for us its 2 adults @$60 each and the kids are $38 each, total $196, kids under 3 are free, shoppadockets often discount in winter but ours want to go when its warm enough to waterslide.
Australia zoo family pass $109
...
Australia zoo family pass $109
...
A
#18
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by tiredwithtwins
I did my nurse training in london, and i still miss it!!!! (i moved back to sheffield in 1991!!!)
...and London misses you too Sue
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2005
Location: North Lakes
Posts: 72
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by Flutterscutter
I miss the real buzz of being in London sometimes, i guess thats why i am really excited about moving to Sydney. I need a bit of urban adreniline
Lived most of my life in London (very close to where professional princess is)
When i left, i swore i never wanted to live in a big city again, but i was wrong!
You can take the girl out of the city, but you cant take the city out of the girl.
I guess i'm pretty mixed up and confused. I thought i wanted a quiet rural existence. I think i do sometimes, but not having the conveniences of city life and the "open 24hrs" community, i sometimes suffer as i'm a night owl.
But the great thing about my life these days, is the ability to change my mind as often as i like and just go for it. We are very lucky. No kids or tires to anywhere. If i get fed up with the city we can just as easily move on again.
I do get a bit fed up when people slag off London. I find its usually those who have done no more than a quick tourist trip from up north (or wherever) Yes, its big, noisy, fast blah blah blah, but hey, name a city on this planet that isnt!!
Lived most of my life in London (very close to where professional princess is)
When i left, i swore i never wanted to live in a big city again, but i was wrong!
You can take the girl out of the city, but you cant take the city out of the girl.
I guess i'm pretty mixed up and confused. I thought i wanted a quiet rural existence. I think i do sometimes, but not having the conveniences of city life and the "open 24hrs" community, i sometimes suffer as i'm a night owl.
But the great thing about my life these days, is the ability to change my mind as often as i like and just go for it. We are very lucky. No kids or tires to anywhere. If i get fed up with the city we can just as easily move on again.
I do get a bit fed up when people slag off London. I find its usually those who have done no more than a quick tourist trip from up north (or wherever) Yes, its big, noisy, fast blah blah blah, but hey, name a city on this planet that isnt!!
'Those who have done no more that a quick tourist trip from up north' - something of a sweeping generalisation. For my own part, I have been to London many times and the biggest problem I have is that for the most part I have only met people who through living in such a big city have become very selfish and impersonal. The number of times friends from London have come to see us and been completely freeked out by the fact that you say hello to people you don't know, or horror of horrors you may let someone into the traffic from a side street!!!! Oh, and the look on someones face when you can go to a pub and get 4 drinks and still have change from £10
It is a fact of life that people will slag off London, but then it is something you just have to live with - there are just as many who slag off anywhere north of Watford as poor, provincial and backward......who have never been anywhere north of London.
#20
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by Greg, Michele and Bella
'Those who have done no more that a quick tourist trip from up north' - something of a sweeping generalisation. For my own part, I have been to London many times and the biggest problem I have is that for the most part I have only met people who through living in such a big city have become very selfish and impersonal. The number of times friends from London have come to see us and been completely freeked out by the fact that you say hello to people you don't know, or horror of horrors you may let someone into the traffic from a side street!!!! Oh, and the look on someones face when you can go to a pub and get 4 drinks and still have change from £10
It is a fact of life that people will slag off London, but then it is something you just have to live with - there are just as many who slag off anywhere north of Watford as poor, provincial and backward......who have never been anywhere north of London.
It is a fact of life that people will slag off London, but then it is something you just have to live with - there are just as many who slag off anywhere north of Watford as poor, provincial and backward......who have never been anywhere north of London.
Sincere appologies for offending. I am happy with the world. I have no need to get into a silly north south divide arguement. It was an off the cuff throwaway comment made in jest.
Yes i have lived north of watford. Scotland to be exact. Sorry to upset your sensitivities, but i do have one suggestion. Try not to get so easily offended as you sure as hell will need to once you get down here!
Lose your chip ...
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by kevinl
London In August.
Have reduced the pic right down so may not look great.
Have reduced the pic right down so may not look great.
EVERY year we'd say "maybe next year we'll have more summer" and the most we got was a few poxy months of random Summer days...or maybe a week or two consecutively if we were lucky
It's the UK weather that was the deciding factor for us. That picture is exactly like I have in my mind of the UK. It probably reflects my mood and feeling about the UK rather than anything else but when I see this, I know I made the right decision to move to Aus
As for London. We had family that lived in Herts so we regularly went into the big smoke. I remember thinking how scruffy and overcrowded and wondering what tourists must think when they get there. Even today I don't remember anywhere as dirty
So in answer to the OP's question: Nope don't miss London or anything UK.
Except the people of course
#22
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Near Bond Street, London W1
Posts: 442
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by kevinl
Been up town today.
Took the kids on the Eye and then a river cruise down to the Tower of London.
Looked around the Tower of London, not been since I was tiny.
Rained hard from when we left the house until we got in about an hour ago.
Cost £39 for the Eye , £42 to go around the Tower :scared: , £22 for the boat trip , £12 for the train (the only good value bit), £2.40 for the bus to the station which we normally walk to and takes 10 mins to walk but today it was raining hard.
Yesterday we went to Botany Bay, between Margate and Ramsgate, spent a couple of quid on petrol getting there, lovely weather great day out.
I guess my point is we only live half an hour from central London but who can afford to go and use the facilities often ?
Roll on better weather and free days out.
Kevin
Took the kids on the Eye and then a river cruise down to the Tower of London.
Looked around the Tower of London, not been since I was tiny.
Rained hard from when we left the house until we got in about an hour ago.
Cost £39 for the Eye , £42 to go around the Tower :scared: , £22 for the boat trip , £12 for the train (the only good value bit), £2.40 for the bus to the station which we normally walk to and takes 10 mins to walk but today it was raining hard.
Yesterday we went to Botany Bay, between Margate and Ramsgate, spent a couple of quid on petrol getting there, lovely weather great day out.
I guess my point is we only live half an hour from central London but who can afford to go and use the facilities often ?
Roll on better weather and free days out.
Kevin
Yes I miss London heaps - much more than I thought I would. We were lucky I guess, we lived in a nice area within walking distance of the West End and all that it provided. Just before we left for Australia last summer I walked with my then 7 year old son around Westminster up past the Houses of Parliament. It was a warm night. Being a chatty kid, he engaged the police on duty in conversation. We all had a really warm and friendly chat for about ten minutes before we walked up Whitehall when I heard my name called. It was a pal having a drink with some friends outside one of the pubs and we were asked to join the party, the lad having lemonade. After half an hour we walked home past Trafalgar Square, up along Regent Street with all the glittering windows and finally through a fairly tranquil Cavendish Square. I miss it heaps. Yep, we now have the big house and the pool as opposed to the third floor walk up flat but London has a buzz and a warmth that I think any Londoner can be proud of. Oh and Sydney houses are very cold in winter. I have just paid the biggest Electricty bill ever - and we were still cold.
#23
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaElvira
...Bus pass £3, most museums + art galleries = free, Proms = £4, standing tickets at the opera = £8, National Theatre Travelex tickets = £10, best parks in the world = free, beautiful buildings to look at everywhere = free.
Nooooooo, but there is still so much more to do with kids in London than in most places I've been too (and I have travelled far...) The big expenditure things - Tower, Madame Tussauds etc - are places one tends to visit once in a decade (if that!). But - nowadays at least - the museums and galleries are always free.
I remember taking my kids, when they were just 4 or 5, to the Natural History, Science, Imperial War, London etc Museums. We would go to one or the other almost every weekend, and they loved it. (This was in the days of the Conservatives , so we had to buy a yearly pass and/or go after 5 pm on a Sunday...)
At a very early age we started taking them to the National Art Gallery and the Tate, and they they loved that too. I remember my twins, aged maybe 5 or 6, looking spellbound at Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Stubb's Horse. They also liked the early Renaissance paintings - because of all the gold
And then there were all those wonderful walks in Richmond Park, feeding the ducks in Green Park, and so on. Or watching the jugglers and fire-eaters in Covent Garden. We never seemed to get bored, and I can't remember spending a lot of money on their entertainment.
Oh, and they still haven't been to Madam Tussaud's!
Originally Posted by DonnaElvira
...Bus pass £3, most museums + art galleries = free, Proms = £4, standing tickets at the opera = £8, National Theatre Travelex tickets = £10, best parks in the world = free, beautiful buildings to look at everywhere = free.
Originally Posted by kirsty&al
These don't sound like the prices for family tickets (or were you saying that kevin should have gone on his own)
A
A
Nooooooo, but there is still so much more to do with kids in London than in most places I've been too (and I have travelled far...) The big expenditure things - Tower, Madame Tussauds etc - are places one tends to visit once in a decade (if that!). But - nowadays at least - the museums and galleries are always free.
I remember taking my kids, when they were just 4 or 5, to the Natural History, Science, Imperial War, London etc Museums. We would go to one or the other almost every weekend, and they loved it. (This was in the days of the Conservatives , so we had to buy a yearly pass and/or go after 5 pm on a Sunday...)
At a very early age we started taking them to the National Art Gallery and the Tate, and they they loved that too. I remember my twins, aged maybe 5 or 6, looking spellbound at Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Stubb's Horse. They also liked the early Renaissance paintings - because of all the gold
And then there were all those wonderful walks in Richmond Park, feeding the ducks in Green Park, and so on. Or watching the jugglers and fire-eaters in Covent Garden. We never seemed to get bored, and I can't remember spending a lot of money on their entertainment.
Oh, and they still haven't been to Madam Tussaud's!
#24
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by kevinl
Yes, some things are free.
the museums are free upto a point, the science museum is free to see the static exhibits but the interactive i-shows and so on cost an arm and a leg.
The parks and open spaces, the beaches are great.
The weather is not predictable though and if you arrange time off, as I have this week, you want to do something when it rains all day and that costs.
The eye is a business and therefore I can understand the cost, whether the eyesore that it is justifies what it brings is another matter.
The Tower of London though at £42 for a family of 4, when as tax payers we have already paid for it, is pretty poor value.
I am a Londoner, always have been but I think people that live in London feel less and less of a link and it makes it easier to make the break.
Did try to add a picture from the eye looking over the city but I couldn't get it to work.
Does anyone know the max size for a pic?
Took it with me new fangled camera and it is 3.5mb.
Kevin
the museums are free upto a point, the science museum is free to see the static exhibits but the interactive i-shows and so on cost an arm and a leg.
The parks and open spaces, the beaches are great.
The weather is not predictable though and if you arrange time off, as I have this week, you want to do something when it rains all day and that costs.
The eye is a business and therefore I can understand the cost, whether the eyesore that it is justifies what it brings is another matter.
The Tower of London though at £42 for a family of 4, when as tax payers we have already paid for it, is pretty poor value.
I am a Londoner, always have been but I think people that live in London feel less and less of a link and it makes it easier to make the break.
Did try to add a picture from the eye looking over the city but I couldn't get it to work.
Does anyone know the max size for a pic?
Took it with me new fangled camera and it is 3.5mb.
Kevin
#25
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by kevinl
London In August.
Have reduced the pic right down so may not look great.
Have reduced the pic right down so may not look great.
I lived in London for about eight years, plus commuted there for about another six. I liked the buzz of the place when I was younger (I'm not exactly bus-pass age now, but you know what I mean), but I don't find much to like about it these days. It is a staggeringly expensive place to live and/or work, in terms of housing and day-to-day costs, let alone recreation. If you're not the sort of person that goes to museums or art galleries then you're looking at some serious expense for anything remotely entertaining. I enjoyed Sydney far more - it has its problems just like any other metropolis, but it had a far friendlier vibe to it, helped along by plenty of glorious sunshine.
#26
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,277
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by DonnaElvira
Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaElvira
...Bus pass £3, most museums + art galleries = free, Proms = £4, standing tickets at the opera = £8, National Theatre Travelex tickets = £10, best parks in the world = free, beautiful buildings to look at everywhere = free.
Nooooooo, but there is still so much more to do with kids in London than in most places I've been too (and I have travelled far...) The big expenditure things - Tower, Madame Tussauds etc - are places one tends to visit once in a decade (if that!). But - nowadays at least - the museums and galleries are always free.
I remember taking my kids, when they were just 4 or 5, to the Natural History, Science, Imperial War, London etc Museums. We would go to one or the other almost every weekend, and they loved it. (This was in the days of the Conservatives , so we had to buy a yearly pass and/or go after 5 pm on a Sunday...)
At a very early age we started taking them to the National Art Gallery and the Tate, and they they loved that too. I remember my twins, aged maybe 5 or 6, looking spellbound at Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Stubb's Horse. They also liked the early Renaissance paintings - because of all the gold
And then there were all those wonderful walks in Richmond Park, feeding the ducks in Green Park, and so on. Or watching the jugglers and fire-eaters in Covent Garden. We never seemed to get bored, and I can't remember spending a lot of money on their entertainment.
Oh, and they still haven't been to Madam Tussaud's!
Originally Posted by DonnaElvira
...Bus pass £3, most museums + art galleries = free, Proms = £4, standing tickets at the opera = £8, National Theatre Travelex tickets = £10, best parks in the world = free, beautiful buildings to look at everywhere = free.
Nooooooo, but there is still so much more to do with kids in London than in most places I've been too (and I have travelled far...) The big expenditure things - Tower, Madame Tussauds etc - are places one tends to visit once in a decade (if that!). But - nowadays at least - the museums and galleries are always free.
I remember taking my kids, when they were just 4 or 5, to the Natural History, Science, Imperial War, London etc Museums. We would go to one or the other almost every weekend, and they loved it. (This was in the days of the Conservatives , so we had to buy a yearly pass and/or go after 5 pm on a Sunday...)
At a very early age we started taking them to the National Art Gallery and the Tate, and they they loved that too. I remember my twins, aged maybe 5 or 6, looking spellbound at Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Stubb's Horse. They also liked the early Renaissance paintings - because of all the gold
And then there were all those wonderful walks in Richmond Park, feeding the ducks in Green Park, and so on. Or watching the jugglers and fire-eaters in Covent Garden. We never seemed to get bored, and I can't remember spending a lot of money on their entertainment.
Oh, and they still haven't been to Madam Tussaud's!
We used to spend quite a bit of time, with the kids, using the free stuff in London, like the museums. In addition to the well known ones, I can recommend the Bank of England museum (which is unfortunately open only on weekdays) and the Docklands museum (which was £5 per person but for the whole year).
Has anyone else been to Kensignton Roof Gardens? The kids loved it. Another great thing we used to use was the open house weekend in September during which a load of buildings were open (free) to the public, which were normally paid entry or not generally open to the public.
Regards
A
#27
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by kevinl
London In August.
Have reduced the pic right down so may not look great.
Have reduced the pic right down so may not look great.
#28
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Originally Posted by kevinl
Been up town today.
Took the kids on the Eye and then a river cruise down to the Tower of London.
Looked around the Tower of London, not been since I was tiny.
Rained hard from when we left the house until we got in about an hour ago.
Cost £39 for the Eye , £42 to go around the Tower :scared: , £22 for the boat trip , £12 for the train (the only good value bit), £2.40 for the bus to the station which we normally walk to and takes 10 mins to walk but today it was raining hard.
Yesterday we went to Botany Bay, between Margate and Ramsgate, spent a couple of quid on petrol getting there, lovely weather great day out.
I guess my point is we only live half an hour from central London but who can afford to go and use the facilities often ?
Roll on better weather and free days out.
Kevin
Took the kids on the Eye and then a river cruise down to the Tower of London.
Looked around the Tower of London, not been since I was tiny.
Rained hard from when we left the house until we got in about an hour ago.
Cost £39 for the Eye , £42 to go around the Tower :scared: , £22 for the boat trip , £12 for the train (the only good value bit), £2.40 for the bus to the station which we normally walk to and takes 10 mins to walk but today it was raining hard.
Yesterday we went to Botany Bay, between Margate and Ramsgate, spent a couple of quid on petrol getting there, lovely weather great day out.
I guess my point is we only live half an hour from central London but who can afford to go and use the facilities often ?
Roll on better weather and free days out.
Kevin
#29
Never been to Australia
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Homeless
Posts: 495
Re: Anyone missing London ?
Sorry visiting some of my old threads didn't mean to put it on just ignore and it will go away......... or come visit the dark side,....you know you are curious.
Last edited by kevinl; Feb 16th 2007 at 3:15 pm. Reason: Pisssed
#30
Banned
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Aussie
Posts: 491
Re: Anyone missing London ?
London in general is ok for a w/end visit. Although it's over-rated compared to international cities such as Paris, New York and Sydney.