Going to London tomorrow - what to do :(

[pinkunicornsarefluffy]

Posting here for traffic, I am going to London tomorrow, train from here to Paddington, then Euston, then Watford Junction.

Having just seen the news about the bomb, I am now terrified. I rarely go to London and this is so scary. There will be 3 adults and 3 children aged 9, 10 and 13.

If we don't go, we lose £600, but what price your life or your kids life?

We are still thinking of going and doing bus or taxi from Paddington.

Has anyone got any advice on transport ?

What would you do?

It's at the end of the Metropolitan Line.

big hugs. you'll be absolutely fine xx

Please don't make me have to direct you to the encyclopedic entries for the place you live in, Jassy. That would just be embarrassing for you

Oh, please do. I'm intrigued. When did Kingston cease to be a town? When did 'Kingston' (rather than the larger geographical area of RBK) become a borough? Which definition of 'town' are you using?

The list of chartered towns and town councils in England is en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_England, if that helps.

I'll grant you I didn't draw the distinction between the official town name (rather than the predominantly used 'Kingston' and the full name of the borough (which no one refers to as 'Kingston'). Sorry if you found that confusing, and sorry for not being precise! However, the essentials remain the same.

LMAO @ Geography Wars

I'm never too sure about the areas on the outskirts of Greater London tbh and I live in the SE

It doesn't help when people post links to flats in Watford on a thread about being able to afford to move to London (as happened the other week).

For some of us Geography is just something we can't 'get', just like some people are crap at maths. Try as I might I just cannot use a map and I have no sense of direction and absolutely zero navigational skills.

Sigh. OK then, in very simple words for you: It is still an area/part of London, and sits within a London borough, which makes it a part of London. Ditto Bromley. Waftord does not. It's in a different county, for fuck's sake. Do people not know counties any more? There's your basic geography.

Watford is also the name of a small village in Northamptonshire which most defiantly is NOT part of inner London or Outer London or Greater London

IMHO the reason it is called Harry Potter studios London etc Warner bros wanted to let the 1000s of people who visit each day (6500 to 7000 per day visit) from around the world and uk know that it is 20 minutes journey if you are visiting London to sightsee etc

Dolce the thing is most Watford Hertfordshire residents (Watford council) are not allowed to vote for London mayor or get reduced or free (not totally sure) train travel if over 60 like you could if you live in London borough

So no we don't live in London borough so don't get benefits

Sorry Dolce misread your post

This thread is ridiculously pathetic I'm gobsmacked there is surprise people don't know where watford is. Why would you? I didn't even know where Kent was before I met my DH, let alone which no - significance towns are closest to London. And I grew up in Buckinghamshire

Do people not know counties any more? There's your basic geography.

But only the Home Counties, right? Because we've already established no one gives a shit about where places are in the North? Or can I play an "in or out" quiz involving towns in Northumberland, County Durham or Lancashire and declare you to be an imbecile if you incorrectly place any of them? Oh - and before I start the quiz, is this Metropolitan Counties or Ceremonial Counties?

I love it when a bunfight kicks off over something totally benign.

Guilty as charged. Dull afternoon and just too tempting to while away the time by pointing out daft statements on Mumsnet.

Back to the front!

Sigh. OK then, in very simple words for you: It is still an area/part of London, and sits within a London borough, which makes it a part of London. Ditto Bromley. Waftord does not. It's in a different county, for fuck's sake. Do people not know counties any more? There's your basic geography.

Ah, so you've made up your own administrative distinctions and definitions. I get it now! Makey-uppy basic geography - unless you have that 'encyclopaedic' to hand?

How do you reconcile the fact that Watford is technically a borough? Or that Greater London is a ceremonial/geographic county?

And how on earth do you categorise Salford?

People who say they live in Surrey when they live in Kingston or richmond are just sad idiots who seem to have an inability to accept the county changes of the 1960s.

I didn't even know where Kent was before I met my DH

You sound really oddly proud about this. I'd be ashamed if I didn't know something so basic.

But Jassy Watford is not a borough

We don't vote for mayor of London and don't get benefits like people who live in borough of London

People who say they live in Surrey when they live in Kingston or richmond are just sad idiots who seem to have an inability to accept the county changes of the 1960s.

We can't win! If we say 'London' all the north inner Londoners start bleating that 'you don't have a London postcode, it's not London!'

I avoid in general. Though I'm amused to find that this ancient market town, which continues to enjoy status as a town, is not a town. It's a borough. (Sorry, people of Surbiton, Tolworth, New Malden and Chessington...)

What idiot doesn't know where Kent is, especially when they lived in Buckinghamshire. So much for the people who rave about the excellent schools there.

But Jassy Watford is not a borough

We don't vote for mayor of London and don't get benefits like people who live in borough of London

Oh I'm not saying it's a London borough, don't get me wrong!

But administratively it's a borough. The local authority is the Watford Borough Council.

I was just pointing out the logical fallacy in claiming that because something is a borough, or within a borough, it can't be a town.

People are also idiots who think only a london postcode means being in london.

People are also idiots who think only a london postcode means being in london.

Unless they're Northerners. Because apparently they're excused from knowing anything about our country's capital city, dontcha know. Too Northern for it, apparently.

Unless they're Northerners. Because apparently they're excused from knowing anything about our country's capital city, dontcha know. Too Northern for it, apparently.

Way to misunderstand what I actually said. Do I need to write it again, sans Northern accent?

Well as a Northerner living in London I guess I'll just continue wandering around in circles not knowing where I am.
Meanwhile telling Londoners where I am requires me to say 'near x?', 'near Y?' ...' 40 mins from Leeds'. Not your area, not your expertise. Easy.

Am from* apologies

Watford borough council doesn't mean anything and is just an honorary status symbol it doesn't mean that they are part of anything like London boroughs are or give us any extra power or rights like those within the London boroughs

You were trying to mislead people by implying that Watford is part of London borough councils even if you didn't actually say those words

There are borough councils all over England for different areas/towns

So we can't benefit things like aged 60+ free travel on tubes, tram, DLR, overground, TFL rail and national rail services in London. So everyone who lives in London borough can travel for free out to Watford but our elderly have to pay to go in