Update: The Newman Arms Pie Room has closed and re-opened since I’ve been there, so things have likely changed. London Thing 3 of 1000: Eat in the pie room at the Newman Arms. My name is Lauren, and I’m a pie-a-holic. But this hasn’t always been a problem, you see. I’ve discovered that I have some kind of genetic mutation where my constantly grumbling stomach is a long-lost relic of the …
It’s called Shakespeare’s Globe, but it’s not Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre of Shakespeare’s day is long gone, burnt to the ground during a performance of Henry VIII more than 400 years ago in 1613. A cannon fired from the stage lit the matchstick-like thatch roof on fire. Although the theatre was quickly rebuilt the next year on the old foundations, Puritans in Parliament shut the theatre down and demolished …
Brompton Cemetery, a Victorian-era graveyard opened in 1840, is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries that used to sit on the city’s outskirts but have now been engulfed by this ever-expanding metropolis. London Thing 623 of 1000: Wander through Brompton Cemetery, one of the Magnificent Seven. Is it weird to visit a cemetery as a tourist attraction? But it has its own TripAdvisor page… What am I getting myself into? The Victorians …
Some days I think London is more American than I am. In the few years since I’ve moved here, the number of Chipotles has tripled (with outposts as far flung as Wimbledon), even tastier burrito joints have set up shop, and burgers and BBQ have chiselled their way into a Londoner’s mental list of viable dinner options. Are they following me? If so, you’re welcome. #431: Get a taste of New …
In London, you’re never more than a 5-minute walk from a chippy. These humble British institutions dot our streets to save whole neighbourhoods from any potential deep fried emergencies. Our local chippy even doubles as a Chinese takeaway (oddly versatile, these places). While deep fried potato sticks from the chippy will do for pie night at home, they aren’t really places you’d want to go to for proper fish and chips. In …
One of the Capital Ring’s best sections follows the path of the Parkland Walk, an abandoned train line that was closed to passengers in the 1950s. For a city of almost 10 million people, London’s green space is amazingly accessible. Sure, there are the obvious green lungs of Hyde Park and Green Park, but even when you venture into Victorian-built suburbia, you’ll find that the fundamental British value of rambling is still catered for. …
Where else in the world besides the Bank of England Museum can you hold a gold bar worth £380,000 in a single hand? If you’re strong enough, that is! London Thing 236 of 1000: Lift a gold bar at the Bank of England Museum. London has a rich selection of both big-name and quirky museums, but there are a few that you might be tempted to overlook because of the …
Climb to the top of the Wimbledon Common Windmill to get a taste of the countryside in this wooded green not far from the heart of London. It’s been 663 days since I’ve set foot in Kansas, and most days, I’m not counting. But when I need a little dose of prairie, London can sometimes fix me up. For all of the city’s hustle and bustle, London has these pockets and patches …
The Goat Race at Spitalfields City Farm near Brick Lane has to be London’s most anticipated annual animal event. Tickets sell out almost instantly for punters to place their bets on who will take the racing crown: Oxford or Cambridge? They’ve been training for months, all in anticipation for today. Maybe they’ve never stopped training, not since the big race last year. Who knows how many pounds of food they’ve …
Everyman Cinema is how every cinema should be done. Snuggle up on a couch and press the button for a waiter and snacks to magically arrive. “What?! You haven’t seen that movie? But… how does that even happen?!” I admit it. I’m bad at watching movies. Really, really bad at it. I’m one of those people who has fallen asleep in the theatre. But I didn’t fall out of my seat, …