A challenge for anyone who knows London

[PeatBog]

DH and I have lived in London for 33 years between us and now we're moving back to Scotland ()

We smugly like to think that we've done pretty much everything we'd want to in London, but ...

Can anyone suggest anything we should do before we drive out on the M40 for the last time ever on July 12?

Dh and I once spent a whole day walking along the river from the east. It was tiring but really interesting.

Actually we used to do a lot of walks like that before we had children.

Have you been to Little Venice?

Kew, you are luvverly, but we've done you.

Where is Scotts, Cestlavie?

Now, I think I shall refine the challenge:

no dcs, they can come back any time and no doubt will do everything they shouldn't when young in London.

so, just for me and DH, no expense spared. I'm thinking cocktails, good but not famous restaurant followed by dancing then hotel ... ('The girls on MN say we must do this before we leave!')

the M40 doesn't go to Scotland.

Buy a big bunch of flowers at Columbia Road market.

Eat hot bagels in the middle of the night from the bakery on Brick Lane (if it still exists).

Take a trip down the Thames to Greenwich, picnic in the park and go to the Observatory, then come back in the front seat of the DLR, pretending to be the train driver (before wondering how the train is driving with...argh...no driver).

Ride all the way round the circle line

Picnic and fireworks at one of the concerts at Kenwood.

And the baby discos are already here bink. We're very funky north of the border you know.

Message withdrawn

Oxo Tower? (for the view if nothing else)

I'm also way out of touch with restaurants these days! Tbh I was a kind of China Town at 2.30 in the morning type anyway.

Scotts is in Mayfair, just around the corner from Berkeley Square. It's a classic old London restaurant that was re-opened last year by the same guys who own Sheekeys.

It's absolutely wonderful and perfect for what you have in mind: fantastic cocktails, beautiful glamorous decor (including stained glass windows), delicious English food (mainly seafood) and an amazing iced crustacea bar. Plus it's in the middle of town so just round the corner from loads of clubs and hotels.

Link is here

Visit the Thames Flood Barrier
Take a tour of BBC TV Centre and watch Blue Peter being recorded (and then go and sniff over Petra's grave in the Blue Peter garden - or are you too young for that? )
Watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Kiss a cavalryman at Whitehall (OTOH, no, don't - that's only for tourists)
Climb the lions in Trafalgar Square
Visit the Butterfly house at Sion House and ride the toy train there as well
Take a countryside walk in the centre of the conurbation: Dollis Brook and Folly Brook in NW London, or the dismantled railway from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace via Highgate
Eat bagels at 5am in Brick Lane
Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green

I miss London.

Wow, we're looking to leave London (prob sooner than you too) and I've just realised that DH and I have 28 years in London between us too and there's loads we have't done either.

What about trying to do the whole monopoly board over a weekend? (guessing it's not entirely appropriate as a pub crawl with DCs) but it's on my list of things to do.

As for hotel, somebody in the last couple of days, (think it was sophable) recommended the Charlotte St hotel as being fab.

I did a cheesy open top bus and the best bit actually was the free river cruise with commentary.
What else?

Royal hospital chelsea and the army museum?
Wallace collection in Manchester Square?
Ooh the Postman's Park in Farringdon - with an amazing wall of people who died in heroic circumstances.
link to v interesting site I found when googling

MaryAnnSingleton that piece in the times was too much wasn't it? I mean Costa coffee isn't even that nice!!

ChampagneSupernova

The Wolseley was quite noisy imho - Scott's sounds much better haven't been. One of my best meals ever in London was at GR at Claridges

Look at the view of St Paul's Cathedral from Richmond Park.

hmm, so much to do so little time. I will have a proper read through and get back later.

go on every trainline on the underground! (not necessarily every train station!)

But the cocktails and the dinner and the dancing and the hotel - especially the hotel - are exactly what you can do whenever you come to London for a visit, aren't they?

Shouldn't you do something that is all kind of melting-potly high-and-low-cultural all at once that you could not do anywhere else? So give yourself 48 hours and go to the opera and the Fridge and boating on the Serpentine and the dogs at Walthamstow and tea at Browns and curry on Brick Lane, all without stopping.

is Blooms in Whitechapel still there ? I used to love going there for my borscht and lockshen pudding

VG point about the hotel Bink.

J Sheekeys is a great restaurant... very old fashioned, a bit luvvy, DELICIOUS fish and sea food....

But maybe you want something a bit less trad?

buy some flowers and breakfast on the hoof from Columbia road on Sunday
visit one of the disused tube stations (friend did this at old Strand stn she said it was fascinating)
fly a kite on Parliament Hill
mooch around Liberty's, I just love the squeaky floorboards, the jewellery on the ground floor, the scarves and posh clothes
Sail up the river Thames from Tate to Tate (and obviously visit both)
see an opera
and of course - visit the hallowed halls of St John of Lewis in Oxford St

I always liked going to Kettners - haven't been for ages, but it was wonderfully shabby/glam

how about a bit of a south bank tour..... taking in borough market, tate modern, oxo tower, south bank for something vaguely cultural (or nft... oooh, love the nft...)

A walk around little venice on a warm afternoon is always good. There's great restaurants and pubs nearby too

(very briefly, for it is tea in Bog household) I am hearing you Bink. You may be right. Though god knows I've spent too much time at the Fridge as it is.

Shows. Go and see Phantom of hte Opera, or another big one
Shop on the Kings road, so you can pretend it was ur usual haunt when you see celebs snapped there
London eye
Wobbley bridge
Tate modern
Shakespeare's globe - it is fab!
The planetarium
Hamley's toyshop

Others have said, but do a london bus trip. Did a few of these when we had family visiting and they are really good - wait til it gets a bit warmer weather tho....

where in Scotland are you moving to? We did the same thing a couple fo years ago!

PotPourri, I wish we knew exactly where. We will hear whether DH will be in Glasgow or Edinburgh mid-Feb.

Good list Marina
But I must say St Pancras int is still a bit unfinished, not half as glamarous as the ads make it out to be.