Providing practical information, for teachers living and working in London
Theatre
The bright lights of the West End are most people's first experience of London - Shaftsbury Avenue's theatres, Leicester Square's cinemas, concerts at The Albert Hall, ballet and opera at Covent Garden and the English National Opera. Of course, getting tickets is another matter, but it's all there waiting if you want it.
Dec 30, 2004, 15:44
Museums and Galleries
Thanks to our colonial heritage, London is blessed with some of the best museums and galleries in the world, filled with the most amazing variety of exhibits, mostly stolen from somewhere else. From the British Museum to the Sir John Soanes Museum, quality and variety can be found in abundance.
Dec 30, 2004, 15:51
Restaurants
You name it, you'll find it in London. From eel 'n' pie shops in the East End to vast Conran eateries in the West End, it's all here. The days of dismal British cuisine are long gone. London is now a veritable smorgasbord of international cuisine, where you can chow down on anything from Dim Sum to Brazillian cuisine.
Dec 30, 2004, 15:53
Cafes, Pubs and Bars
London has the best and worst pubs in the country - the trick is working out which one you're looking at before you invest time and money in it. The rule of thumb is the cruddier it looks on the outside, the cruddier it will be inside. Generally, people's perception of a London pub is The Nag's Head in Only Fools and Horses, or the Queen Vic in Eastenders - quiet (except when a fight breaks out), dark, and last furnished and decorated in 1973. And there are plenty of them like that, but by no means all.
Dec 30, 2004, 16:31
Night Clubs
While London may lack the hedonistic buzz of Ibiza, the club scene is one of the best in Europe and in recent years has turned into a 24 hour business. You can clubs to satisfy even the most esoteric taste, from thrash metal to old school, and from indie to jazz.
Dec 30, 2004, 16:33