First Trip to London

[Guest CollegeToronto]

Hey guys,

 

I'm embarking on my first ever trip to London, and I thought you all might have ideas on what a boy does for fun in London.

 

Any ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated..

 

 

Aaron

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I suppose it all depends on what kind of fun you're wanting~

 

Hardcore fucking on your mind? For pay, head to VillaGianni in Earl's Court (http://www.VillaGianni.com). Their newly revamped website makes it even easier to pick out a hot dude and show Stella how to really get her groove on. Other sex-sleaze spots can include the 'Chariots' line of bathhouses: I recommend going early, as very few baths in London stay open past 12am. Strange, but true.

 

Wanna be a tourist? Madame Tussauds is always a good waste of time, as is seeing what's on the boards at the TKTS booth. Harrods in Knightsbridge is a must-see for a first timer. Heaven (danceclub) at Charing Cross is LOTS of fun and provides a really diverse crowd. Look for drag queens in the upstairs bar to shower the crowd with various bottles of alcohol. It's insane.

 

Too bad the Millenium Dome shuttered, as their central show in the sky was one of the most amazing productions i've ever seen. Added, it had some amazing music written by Peter Gabriel. Shagadelic? You bet

 

Ah, one more thing: Don't forget a walk down the gayest street in London, Old Compton Road. Fun shops and cafes galore. If you're around on a Saturday morn, head to Portabello Road for some amazing deals on silver and china (if you're into that sort).

 

Be safe and have a ball... or two.

 

 

Warmest Always,

 

 

Benjamin Nicholas

[Guest rohale]

Congratulations on your first trip to London. I wish you the best. I know this city all too well. If you're into music, Ronnie Scott's is a great place. A lot of up and coming artists in world of rock and alternative music. The Marquee is another fan favorite, some real diverse music. Peter Gabriel was mentioned in the previous post above and he was discovered by Tony Stratton-Smith. London Transport Museum is a real learning center about the history of transportation is London. The Tower Of London is quite popular. Mind the crown jewels though. The tour at Buckingham palace is fantastic. The gallery in the House of Commons, if you like politics, you see these MP's argue over local affairs. The gallery at the BBC center, you can see rehearsals for sitcoms and dramas. Sometimes you get to meet local celebreties. The Globe Theater is a real nice open air show assuming you like plays. The Shaftsberry Theater has some great local productions. If you're into shopping, Brent Cross Shopping Center is huge.

 

Besides Central London, there is life in greater outer London, near Putney and Kingston Vale, some great clubs for the under 21 crowd. You might like Hampton Court located next to Hampton Hill. Richmond Park, Bushey Park. How about Chessington Zoo and since I mention that vicinity. In Hook Ace Of Spades, there is quite a big shopping center. The Kingston Crown Courts in Kingston Upon Thames. If you want to see a really good pub, Chessington Fox and Hounds.

 

It also depends on how much time you will be spending in London. If you can get out of London, go up to Scotland, they have some great historical castles, it's a real learning experience. All these places that I listed are just some of the places to visit, If you're into architecture, I could give you a list of a dozen galleries to visit. I could give you an endless list of places to visit but I think I've mentioned enough already in every category possible.

 

I hope you have a great time, if you're anywhere near Twickenham say hello to Cliff Richard and Atomic Kitten ( just kidding ). Enjoy your stay.

 

Rohale

[Trixie]

As a College Boy, I would hope that you plan to turn in early each night so that you will be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the many long hours you should be spending in the British Museum.

However, if you're in college studying something ridiculous such as "business", or "communications", rather than seeking any sort of real knowledge, then perhaps the most authentic London experience you could have would be to become a heroin addict. It's still terribly fashionable there!

 

 

Trix

 

PS... yes, I'm in a bad mood tonight...

a guy I've been rather smitten with for some weeks, and with whom I thought I was getting somewhere, brought his

"girlfriend" by my workplace today to meet me! He was all compliments, telling her that I'm sooo nice, and

helpful.

Blechhh! It's a good thing I have no super powers, because if I did, Oakland

would've gone up in flames this after-

noon.

[Guest zipperzone]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the nocturnal delights that can be found nightly on Hampstead Heath.

 

Also not to be missed would be an "evening stroll" down Holland Park Walk.

[Guest CollegeToronto]

Thankx for the ideas?

Any ideas on budget accomonadations?

 

Aaron

[londonbear]

You don't say how long you will be in London but remember the quickest and cheapest way of getting round is by buying a London Transport "Travelcard". Depending on where you stay, get one valid for Zones 1 and 2 and you then have unlimited travel by tube, bus and train within that area plus unlimited travel by bus throughout London. One week tickets provide the best value but as a tourist you can get shorter validity ones. You will need a couple of passport size photos to get the Photocard necessary to but the weekly ones. Daily ones are available but are only valid after 9.30 a.m. but can now be used on the night buses.

 

Car hire is not advisable for a couple of reasons. Fist, parking within the main touristy areas is quite difficult and the car could be towed or clamped. Second, if you go into the central "congestion zone" you will have to pay £5 per day. Few car hire companies include this fee and the fine for not paying by midnight is £40 which will be added to your bill restrospectively. IF you want to travel to Scotland, check out the budget airlines Easyjet and Ryanair as you can often get cheaper deals than the train fare, even with the cost and time of travel to and from the airports.

 

A one day trip that involves a lot of history and places of interst is one I usually recommend go get a taste of London. You start at the Tower of London as soon as they open (times vary). Although this can be a full day for a relaxed itinery, you can take in most during the morning, including a visit to the Crown Jewels. From the Tower you can take a boat to Greenwich in about half an hour. The commentary is pretty good and you will pass the point the Pilgrim Fathers started out from before they went round the coast to Plymouth and accross the Atlantic. Have lunch at Greenwich. There are quite a few cheapish places to eat. As you get off the boat you will see the Royal Naval College (now part of a university) which you may recognised from a Tom Cruise movie. There are also two boats in dry dock. One is a tea clipper, the Cutty Sark, and the other is the small boat used by the first solo round-the-world yachtsman. Also there is the Naval museum and the Royal Observatory is at the top of the hill. There you can stand in both hemispheres at the same time as the meridian is marked on the ground. The Observatory houses a museum to time and has historic timepieces as well as some fascinating telescopes.

 

To get back to central London, take the Docklands Light Railway from eithr Greenwich or Cutty Sark Stations. Once it crosses under the river, it is overground the rest of the way and takes you through the old docks area that has been extensively re-developed. Change at Canary Wharf. The tower there is the highest ofice block in Britain and the second highest in Europe but note the Jubilee Line station as you go through it as an example of modern architecture. The Juilee Line will take you into central London very quickly and you can get out at Westminster to see the Houses of Parliament. Westminster Abbey is close by and is where the monarchs are crowned. Just over the river is the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel installed for the Millenium. The capsules are enclosed and give great views over London, you need to book in advance as the "flight" tickets are timed.

 

The British Museum's main building is well known but they also have specialist departments that are now museums in their own right. The Ethnography department is now "The Museum of Mankind" near Picadilly Circus and the specialst Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert (Design) museums are in South Kensington. The main uilding is Bloomsbury has been renovated now the old Reading Romm became free after the British Library oved to new premises. The central courtyard has been glassed over and is quite impressive.

 

 

Free gay listing magazines are available from most gay venues from Wednesday of each week (they cover the weekend period). Look for "QX", "Boyz" or the Pink Paper tho the last is not exclusively for London.

 

If you are tempted by the porn, VHS tapes probably will not work on your return but DVDs should be OK provided they are not marked "Zone 2". Usually they are marked "playable worldwide" or "Zone 0". Prices start around £20 tho some shops in Great Newport Street and Berwick Street (there is a chain which I think is called "Soho Bookshops" and has green painted stores with it name neon lights) offer discounts on three. Prices vary and expect to pay more for Bel Ami titles. Adult videos are only available from licenced sex shops which sell "R18" rated videos. There are few resrictions on what can be shown in these and they do not show extreme violence or rape.

[londonbear]

True budget Hotels and Bed and Breakfast accommodation tends to be of fairly poor standard in London (and most European capital cities come to that) Generally, avoid the Kings Cross area which has a lot of cheap and nasty places.

 

Worth considering are the Youth Hostels. There is actually one in Holland Park (see earlier note about the footway there) but it is in an old house. There is a modern one in Rotherhithe close to Canada Water tube station and on a night bus route from central London.There is a big YMCA on Tottenham Court Road but I believe it is difficult to get a place there.

 

I have heard you can also get deals in some of the chains' new hotels in the West Ham /Stratford area. These have been built in advance of the opening of the high speed Channel Tunnel rail link but are also close to London City Airport and the ExCel Exhibition centre so availablility will depend on if there is a show on.

 

There are a couple of gay run/friendly bed and breakfast hotels in Earls Court but these are not really "budget"

 

For ideas on things to do, check out Boyz on line version.

http://www.boyz.co.uk/JD04/tmPgs/B/home.lasso