To ask for your not overly touristy London recommendations?

[Emily3325]

I've managed to snag Bayeux Tapestry tickets for myself and my husband for February. We only visit London maybe once a year and have done most of the tourist hotspots (London Eye, the Tower, etc.). We aren't big drinkers and love history. I'm looking online, and all I'm seeing are escape rooms and similar things. What are some underrated bits to get up to? We're in London for 3 days and will be going to watch a show on the West End on one of the evenings

I was so looking forward to the 90s exhibition but the reviews of it are terrible. Haven't been so would welcome any information from people who have.

The Barbican is worth a visit. It's like another world.

Don’t tell me that, I have tickets booked for my birthday. My friend has been actually, he enjoyed it as a nostalgia trip but wished it had 90s music playing so I’m making a playlist.

Tayyabs or Needo

Transport Museum Hidden London Tours are excellent.

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/hidden-london

Dayclubbing

https://londonist.com/london/things-to-do/daytime-clubbing-events-parties-london

https://ageagainstthemachineclub.com/

I went to one at The Lower Third which was really good fun.

I got the rage in the Museum of the Home - formerly the Geffrye Museum. It used to be lovely - but now 😡😡😡 The nice cafe gone. It’s been wokeried to within an inch of its life. Not a little bit of woke, but full-scale rewriting of history to a ridiculous extent. And if that wasn’t enough… I actually got a pen out of my bag and corrected spelling and grammar on the labels.

My husband is taking me to Hampton Court Palace for my birthday. I am obsessed with the Tudors and haven't been there since I was a child. I am really looking forward to it.

I know it's nowhere near London but have you been to Harvington Hall near Kidderminster? My son had a Tudor phase and it was my favourite of everywhere we visited. Much smaller of course than Hampton Court palace which is wonderful, but Harvington Hall have fantastic events and a real commitment to bringing the house to life.

Reviews are often rubbish and a cracking soundtrack is sure to get you in the mood. Hope you have a great birthday.

Ditto.

You could go out to the V&A East. Before it turns out to costs so much to run that Tristram Hunt has to resign (god, he's a wally) ...

full-scale rewriting of history to a ridiculous extent.
I live near this museum (but ridiculously have never been) and am interested. What do you mean exactly by rewriting of history?
And is there no cafe at all? or just not a good one any more?

Sir John Soames House in Holborn. Need to book. I like walking along the river - interesting buildings to look at and odd history (old wharfs, Roman bits and pieces)

@AlwaysExtraHot yes there is a cafe, but not the nice old one. New one is slightly off site and sterile.

Rewriting - well, the focus when I went at Christmas is on immigrant communities. That’s fine, but the portrayals were inaccurate to say the least. West Indians arriving in the 50s were in poor, nay, awful accommodations, not at all how the MoftheH depicted them living. Likewise the Irish, receiving food from back home as London was so grim. Nope! They emigrated from where life was a struggle! And the pièce de résistance was the LGBTQ+++++ group celebrating together because they’d gone no contact with their families for misgendering….

And sigh.

How did they show West Indians living? I know there was awful housing, but I also remember reading about and looking at images on an exhibition years ago about 'The West Indian Front Room' on how that generation took pride in having a 'best' room for visitors. The houses may not have been palatial but there were decent furnishings, radiograms, ornaments etc. I'm not sure it was all slum living in desperate poverty. Did they cherry-pick the most well-off/fortunate people?

The Irish thing I'd love to know what sources they based all that on. I'm guessing they didn't give sources, or had 'interpreted' things very loosely...

Likewise the LGBTQ+++++ group; what were their sources for that? I wonder from where they found the evidence of 'misgendering'...

EDITED to add I think I misunderstood about the LGBTQ+++++ group; you mean people from the present day, yes, not the 50s or whenever?

It was all “interpretation” I guess. Yes, the LBGTQ + people were from recent times. It seemed a bit off to imply that by necessity they had all dumped their families. That’s not ime true at all.

It seemed a bit off to imply that by necessity they had all dumped their families. That’s not ime true at all.
Questionable, and presumably a small sample size.

Horndean Museum south London is nice, with great garden and views

The Temple Church is interesting. If you havent done it, get to Westminster Abbey early, and try a book a guided tour round the oldest tombs going back to Edward the Confessor. Only limited entry to this part.

YABU.

@MNHQ you say you are moving threads now to a more appropriate topic. Why not this one?

Definitely the Jack the Ripper walk - it’s fantastic

Samuel Johnson’s House is super!
https://www.drjohnsonshouse.org/

Foundling Museum

William Hogarth’s House in Chiswick

Bank of England Museum

Any of the hospital/medical museums that have been mentioned already.

The Foundling Museum is great. I walked past Dennis Severs’ house at 18 Folgate Street last time I was in London and that looks fascinating.

Skylon in the Southbank is lovely and has great views.

Maybe book a walking history tour. There are lots advertised online. Would recommend my guy, but he is sold out within an hour of publishing dates!

Some great recommendations here! I went to the V&A childhood museum recently to see the Aardman Animations exhibition, and the rest of the museum was good too