OK London based Mnetters,suggestions for what to do please.

[Mirage]

The week after next,my sister & I will be staying in London for 3 childfree days.

I haven't been for 4 years & am a little short of money,so shopping isn't going to be my main occupation.I'm actually wondering what I'm going to do with my time there.

Any suggestions or personal favourites? What would you suggest we visit/do?
Thanks.

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Boat along river (not expensive) to Greenwich and picnic in the park (free)
City of London Festival has a lot of free musical lunchtime events, some open-air, around the Square Mile if you like classical/jazz/world music
See if you can get cheap tickets at the booth in Leicester Square for a show
The Diwana Bel-Poori house in Drummond Street (near Euston) does very reasonable and delicious S Indian vegetarian food
Borough Market (bottom end London Bridge close to the station) is worth strolling round for the sights and smells even if you are not buying, but you can get some fabulous fast-food from some of the stalls and eat it in Southwark Cathedral Gardens
Walk the river! It is now much nicer to do this thanks to new footpaths. My favourite stretch is from Butlers Wharf to Charing X. Loads to see, and reasonably priced eateries en route eg Nandos in Southwark and a Wagamama under the Festival Hall
Favourite smaller museums & galleries: The Foundling Museum in Coram's Fields (one to make you hug the children extra tight when you get home, but fascinating); Sir John Soane's Museum in Lincolns Inn Fields; the Wallace Collection in Dorset Square
Hope these ideas help a little!

i agree with percy, the walk along the river is really great, go to the big topshop in oxford st too! there really is tons to do

Book tickets on the London Eye, and then walk along the river to the Tate Modern/St Paul's. Or cross the river at the London Eye and walk around Westminster Abbey/Big Ben, over to Buckingham Palace/St James Park, and then to Trafalgar Square/Leicester Square/Picadilly Circus.

Occurs to me - do you want to do touristy/sightseeing things? Or are there other sorts of things you'd enjoy?

Def agree with walks along the river.

If you are in London at the weekend, especially a Sunday, just walking round the City is great - fab architecture, churches etc. It's so quiet too!

Markets, if you like busy places. The big parks, guided walks around various parts of London, art galleries. I could be here all night!

What sort of things do y0ou like doing?

These ideas are fab!Especially the Foundling museum-I had wanted to go there & had completely forgotten about it.
My interests are,history,architecture,gardening & reading.I suppose that although I don't mind a few touristy things,I don't want to end up doing the same old route of Oxford St & Covent Garden that I always used to end up doing,when there are loads of other lesser known places that are more interesting.

I'm going to print this thread off & take it with us,so please keep them coming.

I think the Globe Theatre (the outdoor Shakespeare one) sells tickets on the night for £5 (standing only)

If you like gardening, try the Museum of Garden History at Lambeth Palace. Apparently v. good. Although I managed to live near it for nine years without going (it's a London thing, you never use the bloody opportunities when you actually live there). And DEFINITELY go to the Chelsea Physic Garden. Lovely. Loads of botanical and herbal specimens. Fascinating. And right by the river, so is just a gorgeous place to be.

Architecture - try RIBA, Portland Place, for the bookshop if nothing else. Not sure how open it is at weekends, mind. Have a look on the architecture week website for some ideas - lots of stuff is only open to the public for the week, but it will mention places of architectural interest that are open all year round. While you are in Portland Place, go and look at Broadcasting House - nice example of 30s design recently refurbished and now open to the public.

Also fab walk along the river from Hammersmith to Chiswick, lots of gorgeous houses to look at from different periods, with plenty of blue plaques, hplus some v. nice historic pubs (think the Hope and Anchor is the really interesting one).

Also from a history POV worth going to the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.

Reading room at the British Museum?

Are {Kew Gardens near enough to make a visit worthwhile (utterly fantastic place)

Agree London Eye and then a river cruise is marvellous if you haven't done it before.

The new British museum (between Euston and Kings Cross on the Euston Road) is fab. It has an excellent exhibit area, and it is now very easy to get a reading card. If I had a child free day off in London I would go and take out membership just so that I could go into the reading rooms and enjoy!

And it is all completely free.

And if you head south (past the Unison building) towards Brunswick Square and Russell Square, you pass through a "local" shop type area with some nice cheap cafes and Italians, including the shop where Black Books was filmed (just opposite the Nofolk on - I think - Norfolk Street)

Try walking round slightly lesser known areas - eg The Temple (apart from the Da Vinci Code associations)and the other Inns of Court, Smithfield area (good for cafes) where you should visit St Bartholomew's church. Agree with idea of going round the City at the weekend where you can see very modern architecture + old churches.
It isn't the British Museum on the Euston Road but the British Library, but it is worth visiting.

If you like gardening and history, then try the Chelsea Physic Garden, mirage, and also maybe the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret mini-museums at Guy's at London Bridge.

www.londonfreelist.com is a website that will tell you all the things you can do for free in London - could be useful so give it a bash -

Thanks for all the great suggestions.We are off to London today & I have printed the thread off to take with us.

A big THANKYOU to everyone who contributed.We took your suggestions with us & managed to do a fair number of them in 3 days.We did the Thames walks in both directions,the foundling museum,the old operating theatre & herb garret,a backstage tour at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane,The museum of garden history,went to see Chicago& visited loads of pubs,parks shops,restuarants too.We had a fab time & saw plenty of things that dd1 would enjoy doing next time we go.