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Top 10 free attractions in London

started by maverick (26-10-2007, 11:42)

maverick 26-10-2007, 11:42: I recently saw a list on Digg of the top 10 free things to do in London. I think it included the following -

Tate Modern & Britain, National Portrait Gallery, British Museum, Hyde Park, Changing of the Guard, Westminster Abbey, Royal Opera House, Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Covent Garden Market.

Quite a generic list! Good for a tourist, but not many gems for a londoner! Come on people. How should i be spend spending my cash strapped weekends? I will kick off with a few -

1. Friday Night Skating - Blade or roller skate 10 miles around London on a Friday night. A gang of 50 or so meet at the Duke of Wellington Arch in Hyde Park every Friday night at 8pm. Anyone is free to join in.

2. Watch a BBC TV show being taped - Great fun and completely free. I’ve been to see QI and Have I Got News for You. Tickets here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/

3. Flash Mob Clubbing - Becoming very popular in London. Meet fellow music junkies, plug in your ipod and dance the day or night away (until the police come) at some of London’s landmarks. Waterloo station, Trafalgar Square and The Mall have all played host to flash mob. More details here - http://www.flashmob.co.uk/mt/2007/10/mobileclubbing_londo…
dmj1962 01-11-2007, 12:16: It’s free to go into Parliament and listen to a debate. OK, that might feel touristy, but it’s still worth doing once in a while - despite modern cynicism over politics, it still has a unique atmosphere.

The debates are often pretty tedious, but you can admire the architecture of Westminster Hall as you enter, and all that gilt on the ceiling of the House of Lords…

PS Westminster Abbey is only free to access the chapel for private prayer. Otherwise it’s £10…
Dita 16-11-2007, 01:02: Battersea Park…... fabulous, plus a great cafe with good wine by the waterfront. I live in Battersea for most of the week and it’s just a great place to walk. I’s been properly gardened with so many great shrubs…It’s taken the top place off of Kensington Gardens in my book. There is a zoo too, but as I don’t agree with them, I’ll leave this… Just the best place for a lazy sunday afternoon (The Geldof giorls live near here, and can often be seen with very ragged famous friends, but don’t let that put you off)
moonrising 03-01-2008, 03:30: How about a trip to Freemason’s Hall (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/77970-The-Library-and-Museum-...). Amazing building, and different!

Or for the more active I’d suggest the 5 k time trial each week in Bushy Park (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/90420-Bushy-Park-Time-Trial-L…) followed by a walk to Richmond Park via Teddington Lock (there’s reviews of those places too…)

Finally go on a graffiti walk around the Old Street area: I’ve done a few reviews of street art in that area. If you search for graffiti in London a list will come up.
scottishwolf 14-02-2008, 11:43: Agree with DMJ1962 - a House of Commons debate is a must see. I’m sure a much higher percentage of tourists have been than Londoners which is a shame as Westminster is a pretty amazing place to get a look at inside…and it is where the decisions are made about how the country is run…well at least rubber stamped these days (sometimes)...