To ask Londoners for advice RE DH's birthday?

[MsRamone]

My time my DP's next birthday comes around, he will be my Dh. I am thinking of booking bonfire night in the shard for his birthday suprise. But travelling from the North East of England - what else is there to do in London for during the day? We've done the art galleries and national museums. I'm thinking of taking him to brick lane for a curry and champaign in the shard watching fireworks over london but ... During the day?

Borough Market, just under the Shard is great. The Monmouth coffee place is worth the queue. Southbank will have lots going on.

Yes Borough Market is perfectly located, and the Tate Modern - even if you've done the exhibits already it's worth going up to the bar on the top floor for the views over the river. Walk over the river on the 'wobbly' footbridge and you can stroll round St Pauls and shop at One New Change.

If you go round St. Paul's way pop into postman's park! I love postman's park.

Bear in mind that St Paul's will cost you a huge amount to go in unless you go to a service. My memory says it's £15 or £20 each, not quite sure.

How about a London Liars guided walk, or some other walk? I've really enjoyed them in the past.

Have you been to the Sir John Soanes museum?

If you want curry go to tooting high street not brick lame!

Brick lane for a curry is great. But don't go in the first place you see, walk down the road and haggle!

Some random suggestions in the area
Imperial War Museum
HMS Belfast
The George Inn Southwark
Climb the Monument
The Museum of London
The London Dungeons
The Bank of England Museum

And slightly more unusual one
St Stephen Walbrook - a Wren church with a Henry Moore altar where Chad Varah started the Samaritans

Does he like sport?

Maybe a football match, cricket, rugby or cycling. Go for a Turkish bath or sauna? The Porchester in W2 is the oldest in London and beautiful with the coldest plunge pool I've ever been in!!

Check out the Olympic village to see what events they have on?

Tooting high street

Don't go to tooting high street. I've lived there, it's fine, but it's not a place worth visiting as a tourist.

For lunch I love Camden market. Amazing and cheap.

How about one of London's parks? RIB London Voyages on the Thames are good. What do you generally like doing to give us ideas for suggestions?

Ripleys believe it or not is great at picadilly and you can usually get discounts if look online before hand. Also Covent Garden for wandering and seeing street performers.

I second postmans park.
Tate modern, view from level 7 cafe is fab
Go to a matinee show
London bus tour
River cruise
We once did a treasure hunt around city, was fab (and my team won) can buy it online and self guide.

the monument is great and cheap

Dr Johnson's house?

if you're round near st Paul's you could visit St. Bart's the Great which is worth the trip just for the Damian Hirst sculpture IMO (and I've not even a Hirst fan usually).

Thanks guys. We visited London a few months ago and did both tates, river cruise. He likes weird and obscure stuff so Ripleys sounds like a good idea, and maybe tower bridge museum? We'll only have an afternoon and the next day until 3pm so not much time to fit stuff in

If he likes obscure stuff go to the old operating theatre round the corner from the shard. Really cool little museum. No queues!

Museum of London is round the corner from postman's park too which is great, has exhibitions about the plague and the great fire of London.

I love walking round that part of London at the weekend too cos it's so quiet! And there's so many quirky old weird bits to take in.

I'm not sure how squeamish you are but The Hunterian Museum is not that well known but is amazing. It's in the Royal College of Surgeons, on Lincoln's Inn Fields and is free. Really interesting place.

Not Ripleys, full of teenagers! Sir John soames is fab, Wallace collection with a lovely cafe and the wellcome collection is really curious. Old operating theatre is v good too.