Daughter 18 London club

[magamumma]

My 18 year dd and her friend have tickets for a music gig near London Bridge at the beginning of November.

They will be getting the train up to waterloo and then tube across
I'm anxious about them going because it finishes at 4am.

The first train back isn't until 5.30am and I cant see any tubes running that early to get them to a station.

I'm thinking of booking a taxi for them to get them to waterloo and waiting in the station until the 1st train leaves

But I don't know if this is a sensible option, will there be people in waterloo at that time in the morning.
Obviously I am worried about their safety
Are there any other ideas that may help, I might even look at a youth hostel if I can find one close enough

By the time they get out and go for something to eat it will be time to walk to the station, it's not far, half an hour at most. If they are old enough to go they are old enough to sort their own transport

Ps at 21 we used to roll out of clubs at 4/5am go for food, go to my friends gym to shower and go to work. Crazy when I look back! Powered by caffeine I could do it then

FFS She's 18!
Leave her sort it!

Night tube runs at weekends

This, let her grow

Breakfast, bus, train home.

They’ll be grand

Also do let her sort it herself OP. It’s part of growing up. This is central London, there are always people milling about.

I agree with PP saying let her sort it out herself. She's a grown up now.

I have fond memories of clubbing and traipsing around London in my teenage years. Loads of fun. No mobiles back then either.

Oh my goodness - “land that helicopter” is spot on! I had moved to London at 17 so every night was a clubbing-in-London night 🤣 Leave her to sort it out. Mollycoddling her in this way is no good.

Oh love “land that helicopter” nicking that!

OP - I used to think my parents were so laid back and cool cause from 14 they let me go by myself into London for a weekly activity. It was a long hour on train, then another half hour foot/bus/ tube.

I loved my parents for their laid back trust in me and I’ve always felt really comfortable and independent in cities.

About a month ago, my mum told me she had been terrified the first few weeks 😬 I would never have known

Borough Market will prob have a cafe open or there used to be a 24hr cafe opposite Liverpool Street station. I've waited to the first train in there loads of times.

There will be loads of people in London Bridge, Borough & Waterloo, especially if gigs have been on and its short walk between London Bridge and Waterloo as others have said.

And with landmarks like the river, London Eye, Shard, tube stations everywhere its hard to get let lost between Waterloo and LB even if you don't know London well.

Uber operates 24hrs and the buses all have voice systems that tell you wherre they are going etc.

Plus they will want food or can hang out at another bar / pub / 24hr McDs until the trains start.

A hostel will be complete overkill for an hour, maybe if the gig was finishing at 2am and the trains didn't start until 8am due to Sunday engineering work that would make sense.

However I would advise to pack some foldable flats if wearing heels, by 4am they might want them! 😂

@chesirecat99 it would be pretty hard to get lost!

i moved to London for uni at 18 - it’s the city that never sleeps! They’ll be loads of people around - what an adventure! Oh to be 18 again ❤️

My 18 year old has done numerous all-nighters at various central London clubs this summer.

There's a McDonalds they go to by Ministry of Sound at 4am and they get on the tube home at 6am. There's lots of other kids doing the same so I wouldn't worry about it.

Is it Ministry of sound?

No worries OP I used to work around there donkeys years ago, I have vivid memories of being out at 5.30 for early work shifts, there's be workers like me, loads of truckers and people unloading and loading stuff for shops and markets, people staggering home from partying, a couple of 24 hr food places open...London is alive early! I second the lovely walk to Waterloo, it isn't far, but make sure they have those little flat curl up shoes to switch to when they leave the club. It's how I got home from partying about a billion times - flat shoes in the bag and a long walk lol. Just stick to the main streets and close to the river is the best advice I can give. They might even be able to get a Thames Clipper boat (loads of commuters do) if they while away enough time getting a burger or whatever else after leaving the club.

If they leave early, like 2am or something, straight in a black cab to Waterloo. Do NOT use mini cabs.

I echo what everyone else has said but would definitely encourage Uber if not using public transport - if you want to monitor they can use your account and this will enable you to see where they get picked up and dropped off plus details of the driver etc

I'm guessing they are going to Ministry? In which case there will be loads of people around and Waterloo is an easy easy walk from there.
Pretty sure there's plenty of places open at that time or at least there was in my clubbing days when I used to live in Elephant.

She'll be fine. When I was 17, I went to a concert in Liverpool and we knew we would miss the last train home. We spent the whole night from the end of the show until the first train at about 5 sitting eating chips in doorways, trying to stay awake on benches and wandering around. It was great fun.

I wouldn’t have thought they’d be wearing heels to a gig surely ? I’d be more concerned about a coat myself if they’re going along the river… can be a bit nippy. Pre Covid I had a late night and stayed in the Travel Lodge at Waterloo and walked back from Covent Garden on my own but other people were around the whole time. They were queuing at the McDonalds on the Strand at 03.00 and it was busy around Waterloo with a Sainsburys open. I don’t think there are tons of 24 cafes but there will be some … certainly I’d look around Borough Market. I don’t think she has tons of time to eat if she’s walking but Uber should be fine.

The night tube (Northern line) will be running between those two stations. They could take that and get breakfast at Waterloo (or near the gig before they leave). Central London always has people around, they won't be isolated at all.

God half the fun is the walk to the first train. Many happy memories strolling around London after gigs and nights out.

MN at its best, 18 yr olds with mummies who need to manage every aspect of their lives.
Calm down and leave her to get on with it.

Book them a room at the Travelodge in Southwark or Waterloo. One night will be about £10 and they can share the room, just don't make that obvious to the staff but in the small hours the reception is not manned and you just use your card for entry. That way any of them can slink off if they don't want to spend the night out and won't feel they should go home with someone.

I'd definitely have them a place to stay because no, London is not safe. I'm from round there. I moved up North.