London Things to Do Tips by sylvie-uk

Portobello market is the world largest antique market.
It s open every saturdays. It starts around 8am and finishes around 5pm.
It has over 1500 dealers selling every kind of antiques.
Further down the road you will find the food market and the clothing market (new clothes, second-hand clothes, you ll also see some young designers trying to promote their clothes until maybe they make it to fame!)
It attracts thousands of people from collectors, visitors, or just locals.

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Address: Portobello Road, W10/W11
Directions: Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove tubes
Website: http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/

The shops are open six days a week, some of them being antique shops like the one on the picture.
It s really a different atmosphere when the market is not open, you might even like it better if you are not so fond of crowded places as on saturdays the crowd can be a bit too much sometimes.
you ll also find clothing shops, coffee beans shops, tatoo shops, pubs, little cafe places, lots of shops with products coming from india(decorations) and more....
The carnival also takes place in portobello in august.

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Address: Portobello Road, W10/W11
Directions: Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove tubes
Website: http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/

It s not everyday fun in the world of street entertainers. This one looked like he really had enough that day. Who can blame him??? It must have been one of the hottest day of the year in London and imagine how we would feel with all that paint and clothing in these temperatures!

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Address: portobello, covent garden
Directions: nothing hill tube or covent garden tube

140 hectares: the breath of fresh air in London.
Henry 8 acquired the park from the westminster monks abbey in 1536. It was a private hunting ground until James 1 permitted access. Charles 1 created the ring and openned it to the public in 1637.
In 1665, people went to hide from the plague and camp in the park.
At the end of 17 century, William installed the first oil lamps. Queen caroline had extentions carried out and created the Serpentine lake(see photo).
Nowdays , it s a venue for celebrations, for leisure activities, for sports and events.

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Address: Park Lane, Bayswater Road, Knightsbridge
Directions: Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Lancaster Gate tubes
Website: http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/hyde.htm

The London Eye is one of the most successful millenium projects.
I ve heard that on a clear day you can see as far as 35-40km.
I ve never been on it as i think it s a little expensive for what it is (£11.5, i d rather see some beautiful scenery elsewhere), i also think i would ve seen enough after 10mn (the ride is about 1/2h) and i m really not sure i would like to queue so long to go on it but it s probably because i live here.
The day i took this picture, the Eye was closed as there was a guy who had climbed all the way to the top to protest about fathers rights (the Eye is about 130m high, best he hasnt got vertigo!!!!!)

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Address: Waterloo, SE1
Directions: Waterloo tube
Website: www.ba-londoneye.com

or also called the Palace of Westminster is the country's seat of gouvernment.
Westminster Hall is the only original palace (1097).
Most of the structure was rebuilt in the 19th century following a fire.
On the left is Victoria tower (102m) and on the right Big Ben (98m)
Big Ben is actually the name of the 13 tonne bell and not the entiere building. How it got this name is really incertain. It is said it could have been name after the heavyweight champion Benjamin Caunt or after the supervisor of the installation Sir Benjamin Hall. It seems we will never know.

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Address: Parliament Square, SW1
Directions: Westminster tube
Website: http://www.parliament.uk

This is actually a reconstitution of the Shakespeare Theater. The original one(Elizabethan theater) was about 300 meters away in which Shakespeare was an actor and a shareholder and is thought to have been finished at the end of the 15th century.
In 1613 it burned down during a performance and was rebuilt and used until around 1642.
The puritains then came to power in england and shut down all form of public entertainment. It was then demolished.
It wasnt until 1970 that the project of its resurection happened and reopenned in 1997 in a different location.
You can take a tour of the theater or obviously go and watch a play.

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Address: Southwark, SE1
Directions: Southwark tube
Website: http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/navigation/frameset.htm

It use to house the fruit and vegetable market but around 1970 it changed to house small shops, the Apple market and the Jubilee market. you can find crafts, clothes, leather goods,streets entertainers and more.
There is also a wide range of cafes and restaurant. It becomes very lively over the week-ends.
Near by is the transport museum, st pauls church , Neals yard and also a variety of shops: french connection, gap, dock martins and much more....

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Address: covent garden
Directions: covent garden tube

The royal Albert Hall is an arts venue dedicated to the queen Victoria's husband.
It was officially openned in 1871 by the queen Victoria.
Over the last 130 years the hall, which the country s largest, has housed every type of diversion for the public education and pleasure.
I went to see some gospels there once and i have to say it looks great inside and much bigger than i had imagine.
For bookings and location, check the website below.

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Website: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/cgi/asp_events/venue_page.asp?vaxname=UK2&venuenum=480

Albert memorial was commissioned by queen Victoria in memory of her husband prince Albert who died in 1861. It was designed by Georges Gilbert Scott.
It contains a statue of prince Albert and statues at the four corners which represent Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. It was restored around 1990.
It situated just opposite the Royal Albert hall.

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Address: Park Lane, Bayswater Road, Knightsbridge
Directions: Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Lancaster Gate tubes.
in kensington gardens by Albert hall
Website: http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/hyde.htm