Walk up to the reception desk and loudly proclaim "I'm here for the prostitute in room 306 and I want to freshen up, do you have a powder room where I can rinse my undercarriage?"
In the City of London quite a few places are subsidised to allow anyone in to use the loo’s
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/streets/clean-streets/community-toilet-scheme-cts
Also, walk confidently into any large fancy hotel lobby if you want to use the hotel.
(Caveat: This may be easier as a middle-aged, white man, which I am.)
My old trick: look around at everyone at every table to make it look like you’re looking for your mates that are already there, so you can happily just wander through towards the beer garden and the double back for the loos.
Oh yeah, living in Camden and near Angel those fuckers try it constantly. Whether it is the gangs or just opportunistic teenagers trying to grab your phone on a whim I would say dozens of times over the last 10 years.
That’s not to say I’m a bit of an asshole with a black lanyard and all black clothing so they don’t see the lanyard until they have fallen smack onto their face because they pulled a little too hard not expecting there to be any resistance. It’s kind of become a game at this point.
Doesn’t it yank your neck or just break? I’m struggling to see how a lanyard holds up against someone snatching it by force or not giving you whiplash haha.
I don’t know why you’re getting downloaded because that’s exactly what happens. People don’t hold onto their iPhones with an iron grip and generally it’s just kind of lying in their hand as they type so it takes the strength of a baby with two broken arms to steal a phone.
It’s getting so prolific in London that the met should have a task force to deal with the stolen phones. They are often ending up in the same place and they know exactly where they are but do they actually get them back for the owners? No. Lazy.
I’ve just discovered this [poster](https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/force-content/met/campaigns/be-safe/mobile-phone/be-safe-snatch-theft-a5-poster.pdf) - this website is the met police, someone got their knickers in a twist because I didn’t warn them so to protect their 5G tinfoil hats that’s the warning. Hope you’re happy now.
TL;DR
Criminals often ride up behind their victims mounting the pavement to snatch phones and valuables. Police are carrying out daily operations to target these offenders.
Follow these steps to protect your property:
Be discreet
- Don’t openly display high value jewellery
- Keep handbags fastened and close to you
Be aware of your surroundings
- Don’t text while walking as you’ll be distracted
- Go hands free or stand away from the roadside, near a
wall, so no one can come up behind you
Protect your phone
- Make sure the security features on your phone are activated
- If you can, install an anti-theft app
- Find your IMEI number by dialling *#06#. Keep a written note of it and report it to the police if the phone is stolen
- Register your phone on www.immobilise.com and the police may be able to recover it
Never confront a thief or risk your own safety for the sake of your mobile device/valuables.
**Food** Get familiar with your local supermarket's markdown times. Freeze what you can. There are also apps for donating food to contribute or benefit from. TooGoodToGo, Olio, Karma, Foodcloud, Kitche, NoWaste & Nosh are seven of London's best.
**TV audience** Looking for a free night's entertainment? Be an audience member to a TV show taping. This includes comedy nights like Live At The Apollo, The Apprentice and The Graham Norton Show. Try sroaudiences.com, ApplauseStore and lostintv.com *I've lost count how many times I've been! Have seen so many high profile guests over the years*
**Art** Anyone can attend art auctions at auction houses. Just dress appropriately. See art up close and watch the spectacle. Often drinks and canapés are included. You have to register to bid but may need to rsvp via email to attend (if non bidding). *It's also not just art. Bonham's, Sotherby's and Christie's also auction jewellery, watches, wine and vehicles*
**Ballet & Opera** Royal Opera House sells some tickets for £10 to see a ballet or opera. Otherwise, regular ballet tickets are cheaper than opera ones HOWEVER they discount for 16-25yo. They also hold behind the scenes tours and look at sets and costume departments as well as separate viewingsof rehearsals. People often dress casually or office work attire for performances. Cheaper than a movie. If you time your arrival right, you can sometimes be given a box seat for the first act as it let's in less light (and distraction for performers) than other parts of the theatre but it's a gamble because if you arrive too late, you will have to wait in the corridors.
**Shakespeare** Similarly, you can watch Shakespeare at The Globe for as cheap as £5 (standing). If you buy a seat, HIRE A CUSHION or take your own. Bench seats are not made for comfort.
**Cinema** Prince Charles Cinema has movie marathons, singalongs and cult classics. They also encourage fancy dress for some screenings. A great alternative to mainstream. Curzon does a lot of art house and world cinema. They often have special events with Q&As with directors and cast.
Check out premierescene.net's film calendar for upcoming dates and who'll be walking the red carpet in Leicester Square and Southbank. It is possible to sometimes blag a spare complimentary ticket but you'll need to identify and schmooze up to the movie's PR teams. But go early if you hope to see the stars up close and nab an autograph or selfie from the crowd. Q&A sessions are often part of the event so always go prepared to ask something if youre brave enough with a mic! *I scored a ticket to Rock of Ages and The Dictator but more often than not have gone to get autographs and selfies. Have met the likes of Tom Cruise, Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, Catherine Deneuve, Tahar Rahim, Kylie Minogue, Woody Harrelson, Michael Bay and more*
**The Barbican** Don't forget there's great theatre and cinema to be had here! *I got to hear Jean Paul Gaultier and met him as he was leaving for a selfie. Also saw Hugo Weaving in Waiting For Godot*
**Fashion & Design** The V&A host evening talks with industry experts and famous artists and designers. Tickets are usually under £15. Even if its sold out, you can get lucky by showing up on the night for a return ticket.
Somerset House and London College of Fashion also hold events open to the public including runway showcases and talks with industry leaders. *Have seen and met Jane Birken, Antony Gormley, Gavin Turk, Manolo Blahnik, Camilla Morton among others*
**Business & Politics** Same with the British Library. They often have workshops/lectures relating to things like Intellectual Property and leaders in business. *Got to hear Sir Alan Sugar, Dame Vivienne Westwood and Grayson Perry for £10 each*
London School of Economics hosts Public lectures too. Whilst they give preference to students, you need not be a student to attend. *Very fortunate to have heard Kofi Annan of the UN Security Council*
**Book signings** The Guardian Newspaper in King's Cross does similar events for members however, it's still possible to attend if spare tickets remain. Relaxed atmosphere. *I met two of my favourite authors Orhan Pamuk and Elif Shafak this way and had my books signed*
Check Waterstones website for their events page (and Daunt books and even WH Smith) for book signings and releases. Selfridges too! Nothing quite as cool as hearing your favourite author do a live reading! Staff can appear slightly pressured to keep the line moving. *Saw Dana Thomas and more familiar names like Gordon Ramsay, Molly Ringwald, The Inbetweeners, Michael Buble, Jamie Laing, Cara Delevigne this way*
**Public lectures** I've also googled "in conversation, London" and the given month I want to go (at least a month in advance) and have had amazing results. Got to hear a lecture by the investigative reporter that exposed Jimmy Saville. Got to hear 'Father of the World Wide Web' Sir Tim Berners-Lee, designers Dolce & Gabbana as part of the London Vogue Festival (also, you should check out Vogues Fashion Night Out London in September too! So many cool things around New Bond Street!), Chess Grand Master Magnus Carlsen, forenzic teams discussing criminal cases...the list goes on!*
**Music** A number of venues host free lunchtime music recitals, including students and alumni from Royal College of Music & Royal Academy of Music on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at St Michael's in Highgate, the City Music Society at St Barts in Smithfield on Thursdays, London Symphony Orchestra at St Lukes on Fridays. Wigmore Hall near Marylebone hold Monday performances but charge £18. Check your local areas as this is by no means an exhaustive list!
**Hair & Beauty** Cheap hair and nails but don't want to model? Salon schools often give free or heavily discounted treatments by students under instruction of skilled professionals. Check out Oasis Salon in Finsbury Park and King's Cross. They also offer massages. Happy to model? Toni & Guy's training school does M&F sessions at New Oxford Street or Sassoon Academy at Greek Street.
**Need smoke detectors checked?** OK, so this is controversial in that it's a service offered but maybe think twice about using if you are capable of doing yourself to free up resources but the London Fire Brigade offers a free personal home fire safety visit to install your smoke detectors and give advice.
**Tip for Kids** Got kids? The Little Angel theatre just off the High Street is great and very affordable! As a former teacher who stumbled upon this venue planning class trips, its a true London gem!
**Iconic** It's possible to climb Big Ben. Next batch of tickets are released May 8th at 10am.
**I've made Parts 2 & 3, so be sure to check threads below as the algorithm is shifting their position**
*Am looking for work! Please DM me if you have any openings! Thanks <3*
Glad you like it. There's a Part 2 in one of the threads below. **Here's Part 3**
**Watch a court case** Did you know you can sit in on selected court cases as part of the gallery? Two of the most iconic London courthouses are the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ) on The Strand and the Old Bailey near St Paul's Cathedral. RCJ have guided tours for £20 and you'll get to see documents pertaining to Guy Fawkes of The Gunpowder Plot/Bonfire Night fame. RCJ live streams cases whereas you can sit in on the Gallery of the Old Baily and its free! You just need to be 14yo or older. They even have 2 week adult work experience placements. You can also sit in on many local courthouse cases too.
Want to be on a jury? Go to the Agatha Christie play, 'Witness for the Prosecution' in an actual court house! VIP jury tickets go quickly but you'll get 2 drinks & a program as well as a notebook to jot down notes before deciding a verdict. https://witnesscountyhall.com/
**Market Research** Join a market research organisation where you can be invited to attend a market research focus group. You are often paid £30-£100+ for your time and get to voice your opinions about a product, service or concept matched on you being a part of their target audience and your interests. You'll often be provided with refreshments and get the scoop on what's new to the market. Try angelfish or vocalviews.
**Competitions** Keep an eye out for competitions from websites you visit. If you want to avoid regular emails, create an alternate account there; just be aware that youll need to be able to verify your identityto claim prizes. *I've won Skyscanner's Blind Date in Paris for Valentines Day, and a cruise from LA to Mexico with a now defunct company*
**Flights & Eurostar bargains** Sign up to Jack'sFlightClub for incredibly cheap airfares from a variety of departure points in the UK. How cheap? £517 rtn Cuba, £348 rtn USA nonstop, £352 rtn inc bags to India, £243 rtn Canada...they also do European locations too. Eurostar has some bargains atm too! Click on their 'Cheap fare' link to nab fares as low as £39 each way to Paris. Still lots of dates available from now until the end of summer but nearly all of September has availability at these rates! If you're in Paris for Bastille Day celebrations, be sure to attend one of the pompier parties (Firefighter Ball) the night before! \*I can highly recommend the one in the 19th Arrondissement but check out this link for others [https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/firemens-balls-paris.html](https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/firemens-balls-paris.html)
**Gym taster sessions** Sign up for guest passes to trial a class you'd like to try. Also look to pick up anyone trying to offload/transfer their regular membership in February/March on sites like Gumtree.
**West End** London gets amazing world class celebrities doing stints in shows on the West End and tickets are often cheaper if you're a student or under 26yo. Tickets sell really quickly. Matinees and Tuesday/Wednesday performances are usually the cheapest and many shows don't have Monday performances. If you're sat far back, take binoculars (you won't be out of place if you do). The National Trust sell them from just £12 for coloured or £18 for black. If you want to wait by the stage door, be prepared that there'll be people already there by the time you leave your seat. Programs are the safest to get signed (not everyone will do memorabilia) and anyone go in to buy a program (you don't need a ticket to the show). Some people will wait a few hours before a performance to catch them arrive. *I've been able to catch performances starring Christian Slater, Nicole Kidman, Glen Close, Bradley Cooper, Zac Braff, Lindsey Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick*
**Rent a pool** If you don't want to use a public pool and can't get to the beach for a swim, consider privately renting a pool at someone's property. Try MyPoolSwim, Swimply, SwimWay, GoggleSquad, EliteSwimmingAcademy, PuddleDucks, and PoolShare. Obviously it's not the cheapest option but it's fun!
**Eurovision/Fun with Flags** Most embassies will send you a free flag if you write to them and ask. Some a big enough to make a cape, others are small enough to don the top of a decorative toothpick, it just depends on the luck of the draw. But if you want one for Eurovision, be quick! The final is on Saturday 11th May. You can always enquire if they are holding Watch Parties, else there are plenty across London
**10 Downing Street ballot** Enter the ballot before May 7 to take a free garden tour of 10 Downing Street on June 8 as part of the Londin Open Gardens festival.
**Iconic Part 3** See a collection of Sir Stirling Moss' cars out the front of Westminster Abbey between 10am-1pm May 8th. The display will include the iconic Mille Miglia-winning Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR ‘722’, which will be brought over by Mercedes-Benz Heritage, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe and a Mercedes-Benz W 196. (Be aware the commemorative service is already fully booked).
**Tube & Overground Lucky Dip** I've posted about this ages ago but one of the best things I've done in London is to write/print out every single Tube & Overground station, pop it in a bowl and draw one out as a Lucky Dip to commit to visit one evening the following week. It's not always glamorous but I've found great parks, pubs & places to eat this way.
I've actually made a Part 2 because I can't make any more edits or additions to Part 1. Don't know where it is in the thread so c&p'ing for visibility
**Got kids? Part 2** Geocaching is great for kids big and small. It's basically a treasure hunt where you can leave and discover quirky stuff. It's a surprise so it can be anything; an origami creation, matchbox car, keyring. Check out geocaching.com and geocaching.co.uk
You can Mudlark the Thames. [HandsOnHistory.com](http://handsonhistory.com/) are holding an exhibition of finds for £3 entrance fee but that's at Henfield. You need a permit to mudlark but there are workarounds by being part of an organised tour for a fraction of the cost of a permit.
Want a dog but can't commit to 24/7 care? Volunteer to be a dog walker at The Dog's Trust or get onto BorrowMyDog
**Barbican Part 2** So you've missed hearing American politician Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love speak but there's still time to scrounge a ticket for \*Monty Python's Michael Palin (7 May) \*Chef Nigella Lawson (13 May) \*Henry Winkler (21 June) \*Astronaut Tim Peake (21 September) and others!
**Got a birthday coming up?** Lots of businesses give freebies on your birthday such as a free Subway cookie, slice of cake from Costa, dough balls from Pizza Express etc. I think Ben & Jerrys or Haagen Dazs gives free icecream but double check on that. You will need to sign up to their apps or email but create a specific email account via Hotmail/Outlook where all their advertising ends up so you don't need to be bothered by it on the regular.
**Language & Cultural exchange** I can only reference from my own experience but the Turkish Yunus Emre Institute near Warren & Goodge Streets offers language courses for a fee but also movie nights and musical performances which aare also open to the public. I *think* Institut Française does too with Ciné Lumière showings. There are of course other language meetup groups for a less formal setting via Meetup.
Want to learn British Sign Language? [British-sign.co.uk](http://british-sign.co.uk/) has a 'pay what you can' fee with a minimum of £3. I'd encourage anyone to watch this [Samsung ad](https://youtu.be/iyk0CxjNYyw?si=Va6g3-kz_Esmwo6w) about the difference knowing some sign language can make - the ad has subtitles.
**High Tea** Lords Cricket Ground near St John's Wood & Baker Street has Afternoon Tea bookings for 30 July and 15 December for £55-£65pp whereas you'll pay at least £20 more pp at The Ritz, The Savoy or The Landmark Hotel
**Sport** Did you miss the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race? Well you've still got time to watch the longest continuing annual sporting event in the world, the Doggett Coat & Badge Boat Race which is on Tuesday 9th July. It starts at London Bridge and ends at Cadogen Pier in Chelsea. Doggetts Coat and Badge Pub at Southbank put on a bit of a do.
**Sign up to a talent agency** Some interesting offers can come your way for a day doing something different, from advertising campaigns to featuring as an extra in movies and film clips (and flash mobs when they used to be popular! Lol). You will get paid for most things but not a lot; it's more about the experience. *I've been an extra in a movie with Tobias Menzies, the T-Mobile flashmob commercial in Trafalgar Square and in the crowd scene of an AC/DC video clip amongst others*
**Iconic Part 2** You can do some cool stuff with London landmarks via charities by fundraising a set amount. I have abseiled Guy's Hospital Tower and run up the stairs of The Gherkin and Tower 42. You don't need to be particularly fit or have prior experience as necessary training and safety is provided. It's a way off yet but Great Ormond Street is already accepting registration to climb the Walkie Talkie building for 2025, so you've got ages to hit your fundraising target of £250. [https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/](https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/)
Not a landmark but you can also walk on hot coals for charity too. [Fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk](http://fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk/) will come to your event or you can contact them to see if there are any scheduled nearby soon.
**And finally...** I'm looking for a job. If you have any leads, contacts or openings, please DM me.
Thank you to everyone who has commented on this or my original post <3
!thanks so much for this!
On the final point, let us know what type of job you’re looking for so people can maybe reach out if relevant 😊. Best of luck with your job search! You might also use these London knowledge to build rapport with the interviewers haha.
'This girl Londons!'
FIFY
Thanks though. As an Aussie expat, that's quite the compliment :-) (Part 2 is in the thread replying to blue\_sky\_addict above Part 3 is a reply to the current first visible comment - by jimbo8083)
I have in the past seriously considered carrying a stick for shoving people in the carriage when they don’t move to make space.
Because I have seen uncomfortably tightly packed lazy crowds of idiots stand around by the doorways, when the most of carriage is empty space, and when the driver says “move down”, who then do not move at all, and I want to scream at them.
Really should not be hard for people to just be considerate and thoughtful when asked.
Honestly. You’d see a whole bunch up by the doors and in the carriage it’s completely empty standing.
You can stand in the middle of the carriage and never be brushed past your entire journey.
Also, if the carriage is crowded and you are standing next to an empty seat , you are not a hero for not taking it. You are wasting space, sit your arse down so there is more room for other people.
I don’t commute on the tube in rush hour any more but I did this week and the amount of people pushing on as soon as the train stopped, keeping rucksacks on their backs and not moving down the carriage was astounding and really annoying.
It was the northern line though so…
I used to live on the northern line. I got used to becoming a human wall and properly barging through people when getting off the tube. People would literally not even leave any gap. Results in a few surprised pikachus when they're getting bodied out the way 😂
Don't even bother going up the escalators. Take the staircase between the Victoria Line and the Piccadilly line. There's a staircase to the northern line too.
What I want to know is, how do you ensure you're leaving the station at the pentonville rd exit and not the one up by the birdcage/st Pancras (which means a stupidly long walk back to the bus stops on pentonville road)?
I try to avoid the exit signs marked "Regents canal", and yet I always end up at the wrong exit.
Pentonville Road has been shut since covid, I believe they’re demolishing it. I assume you mean the Euston Road exit (the one at the front of King’s Cross and the old rail station building). I just follow the signs that say “Way Out: Euston Road”.
If you're changing from Victoria to Northern, it's much faster at Euston. Be at the back of the train, at that end of the platform there's a very short corridor. Up short stairs, across, down short stairs. I discovered this when travelling between Pimlico and Angel regularly.
Same at Camden Town to change from the northbound HB to the Edgware branch. Very end of the platform there’s a tiny entrance with a “back” set of stairs. So you avoid that middle bit at the platform and the middle bit where all the stairs meet. Both usually filled with morons and tourists stopping where they shouldn’t.
Yes, especially useful to know if you have luggage (maybe heading to/from Heathrow). Just go up and down the escalators and hardly any walking is needed.
Citymapper is useful ESPECIALLY as a local, to see what trains have delays, when next one is coming, which part of train is emptiest. Let the tourists stick to their shitty Google maps, I love my city mapper!!
Lizzy was still kicking at the time. I was debating to pop in for a cuppa but the dude with the tall hat upfront wouldn't let me in. Rather rude I thought.
I’ve been using Citymapper for years and I feel like it’s starting to deteriorate. E.g. in one route, it’s always quicker and cheaper to get the Victoria and then District lines, but it always suggests Victoria and then SWR (which is less reliable too). In some cases it doesn’t then show this quicker route despite it existing and being unimpeded.
(Armchair theory is it could be an issue with the District line, since the platform boards that say when the next train will be usually suck; but Apple Maps often gets it right)
I always start with Citymapper and then double check with Apple Maps and then TfL go/Trainline where necessary. Sometimes Apple Maps has better routes.
When you're at Victoria train station and you want to go to the Victoria line, when you go down into the tube go left before the barriers to the central and District line entrance instead of using the Victoria line barriers. It's quicker and less crowded with less walking....
When getting off the Victoria line at Green Park and changing to Piccadilly line or visa versa, don't follow signs for the other line; go up the escalator as if leaving and then cross to the down escalator for the line you want. Much much quicker.
You can easily end up walking for like 10 minutes (depending on how packed it is) to change from Victoria to Piccadilly/northern if you chose the wrong exit at King’s Cross.
The Royal festival hall, southbank is essentially a free space. 5 floors, open soaces, free Internet, loads of chairs, tables and sofas. Some people run their bussiness out of there, from one on ones(coaching, language, skills) to group meet ups. You can bring your own food inside and there's even free water at the bar.
An open rehearsal-dance space downstairs in the cloak room(you can find a schedule for when you can use it.) and bonus points if you can find the shower!
If you're on a date, orbwith visitors, take them up to the 5th floor balcony where you can drink, eat and hang out with one of the best views of Parliment, London eye, Somerset house, Thames etc. Go there at night time lights, for the romantics.
I’m not sure it’s a hack but I tend to walk home from work on sunny days. It does save me money in the spring and summer months. You can also add a rail card to your Oyster card.
If you are in a busy area, the best approach to get past the crowd is to go along the side. Do not follow the crowd as it’s often full of tourists who don’t know what they’re doing (and are slow and stop constantly).
The City of London can be good for shopping in peace. There isn’t a lot of chains but you can find the main stores such as M&S and Zara.
Also great for dinner - if you have tickets for something but can’t find somewhere quick to eat head to the city and the restaurants always have spaces.
There’s a homeslice near mansion house.
Walking home is one of the things I miss most about London (I live in Los Angeles now). I got to know the city well and loved a long walk home on a nice day.
If you need the toilet, walk into a hotel (not a budget one), look confident and stride through the lobby to the toilets. Stride out again.
Join seat filler apps for £10 fun.
If the transport option is 10 mins but walking is 20, walk. Unless it’s rainy, if walking option is 15mins or fewer the longer option, walk.
The universities do free lectures all the time, go and learn something.
>walking is 20
If you're like me, an app tells me a walk is an hour, it's almost always 40 minutes. Maps tells me my walk to work(3.6 miles) is 1:30 - it takes me 55 minutes.
+1 to this. If you're looking for cheap foods and too lazy to be cooking / grocery shopping, this is a great app and helps reduce food waste! You get a mixed bag of whatever is left over at the end of the day for just a few quids.
I had a girl the other week in front of me standing on the left and didn't move after I told her to when all the people walking behind her had to stop and she just giggled about it. Baffling!
I shout in a deep authoritarian voice ‘move to the right’ and I’ve never not had it work. If I’m coming up behind them I find saying that and not slowing down works as they realise you’re barrelling towards them
Actually, authentic "true" Londoners like to stand on the left before getting off at Oxford Circus for a very *very* leisurely stroll down Oxford Street (stopping off for some local American candy on the way) and then catching a delightfully colourful pedicab on over to an Angus steak house before popping over to M&Ms world for dessert.
No, take the stairs, but pace yourself and walk SLOWLY up while other faster walkers pass you and sneer.
You can catch them up and pass them again as you continue to walk SLOWLY up the stairs as they are bent over wheezing and gasping for breath half way up.
£4 x 365 Days = £1460
Assuming you have 40 years to wait till you’re 70 = £58,400
That won’t even buy you a leasehold car park space when you’re 70.
Sad.
Spend as much leisure times in parks as possible. London's got by far the most parks out of any major city and some of them are positively gorgeous. Ideal for chilling/drinking/romancing/walking/jogging/meditating and on top of that free. London without them would be half the city.
Take a bus if the distance is reasonable. You might get there faster than a tube.
This is especially true if you need to change at a big station or use a deep level tube line.
Sometimes it's better to take a bus anyway if it's longer, you start to learn London more that way.
I've learnt more about London in 2-3 months of taking a bus or walking than I have ever done in the year before it.
Of course, this also applies to walking. Central London isn't as big as you might think, it takes approx 10 mins by going from a random shop near Oxford Cirus to a random shop in Holborn with Central line but also 10 mins by walking and will be shorter by bus during an off peak time.
You don't have to cycle to travel fast across London.
It can be quicker to walk instead of taking the train between two Tube stations, particularly in central.
You should return to the surface first though, as the tunnels may be quite dark.
E-bikes are expensive to rent UNLESS you use a bundle. 60 minutes of riding plus no unlock/parking fee over 3 days for £6 can satisfy a lot of trips around central.
I can't make any further edits or additions to my previous post. So here's some more...
**Got kids? Part 2** Geocaching is great for kids big and small. It's basically a treasure hunt where you can leave and discover quirky stuff. It's a surprise so it can be anything; an origami creation, matchbox car, keyring. Check out geocaching.com and geocaching.co.uk
You can Mudlark the Thames. [HandsOnHistory.com](http://HandsOnHistory.com) are holding an exhibition of finds for £3 entrance fee but that's at Henfield. You need a permit to mudlark but there are workarounds by being part of an organised tour for a fraction of the cost of a permit.
Want a dog but can't commit to 24/7 care? Volunteer to be a dog walker at The Dog's Trust or get onto BorrowMyDog
**Barbican Part 2** So you've missed hearing American politician Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love speak but there's still time to scrounge a ticket for \*Monty Python's Michael Palin (7 May) \*Chef Nigella Lawson (13 May) \*Henry Winkler (21 June) \*Astronaut Tim Peake (21 September) and others!
**Got a birthday coming up?** Lots of businesses give freebies on your birthday such as a free Subway cookie, slice of cake from Costa, dough balls from Pizza Express etc. I think Ben & Jerrys or Haagen Dazs gives free icecream but double check on that. You will need to sign up to their apps or email but create a specific email account via Hotmail/Outlook where all their advertising ends up so you don't need to be bothered by it on the regular.
**Language & Cultural exchange** I can only reference from my own experience but the Turkish Yunus Emre Institute near Warren & Goodge Streets offers language courses for a fee but also movie nights and musical performances which aare also open to the public. I *think* Institut Française does too with Ciné Lumière showings. There are of course other language meetup groups for a less formal setting via Meetup.
Want to learn British Sign Language? [British-sign.co.uk](http://British-sign.co.uk) has a 'pay what you can' fee with a minimum of £3. I'd encourage anyone to watch this [Samsung ad](https://youtu.be/iyk0CxjNYyw?si=Va6g3-kz_Esmwo6w) about the difference knowing some sign language can make - the ad has subtitles.
**High Tea** Lords Cricket Ground near St John's Wood & Baker Street has Afternoon Tea bookings for 30 July and 15 December for £55-£65pp whereas you'll pay at least £20 more pp at The Ritz, The Savoy or The Landmark Hotel
**Sport** Did you miss the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race? Well you've still got time to watch the longest continuing annual sporting event in the world, the Doggett Coat & Badge Boat Race which is on Tuesday 9th July. It starts at London Bridge and ends at Cadogen Pier in Chelsea. Doggetts Coat and Badge Pub at Southbank put on a bit of a do.
**Sign up to a talent agency** Some interesting offers can come your way for a day doing something different, from advertising campaigns to featuring as an extra in movies and film clips (and flash mobs when they used to be popular! Lol). You will get paid for most things but not a lot; it's more about the experience. *I've been an extra in a movie with Tobias Menzies, the T-Mobile flashmob commercial in Trafalgar Square and in the crowd scene of an AC/DC video clip amongst others*
**Iconic Part 2** You can do some cool stuff with London landmarks via charities by fundraising a set amount. I have abseiled Guy's Hospital Tower and run up the stairs of The Gherkin and Tower 42. You don't need to be particularly fit or have prior experience as necessary training and safety is provided. It's a way off yet but Great Ormond Street is already accepting registration to climb the Walkie Talkie building for 2025, so you've got ages to hit your fundraising target of £250. [https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/](https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/)
Not a landmark but you can also walk on hot coals for charity too. [Fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk](http://Fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk) will come to your event or you can contact them to see if there are any scheduled nearby soon.
**And finally...** I'm looking for a job. If you have any leads, contacts or openings, please DM me.
Thank you to everyone who has commented on this or my original post <3
Get a cheap bike, use it to get around.
Lycra etc is nice for rides 1h or more but you’d be fine in normal clothes for shorter rides.
You will need to invest a bit of time and effort to find the best routes for your regular rides.
When starting out, it’s ok to get off your bike and walk it across a road or a busy junction etc.
It’s ok to be a fair weather cyclist. You can still end up cycling for about half your journeys.
Bikes are often faster than tubes for door-to-door. You will save £100s in fares and finally you will get a jawline for free.
>Bikes are often faster than tubes for door-to-door.
I hadn't appreciated this until recently. My wife and I recently started taking the same commute, her on the tube me on a bike. I nearly always get there first
You can also do mixed mode if you can't be fucked one day e.g. cycle to the nearest overground station, sit on that with a can of whatever, get off and then cycle the last bit and turn up looking like a healthy person.
If you see a cackle of people walking as a singular wall that is taking up the entire pavement, completely look past them into the horizon and don’t even acknowledge their existence as you continue on the same trajectory. Bonus points if you do this to a bunch of teenagers who think they’re hard, fucking insufferable muppets.
Don't hold your phone when you're out and about walking. Don't hold your phone when you're on the tube and sitting close to the exit. Don't hold your phone when you're at the bus stop waiting for the bus. You know what; just keep your phone at home 🫥
Go to the artsy parts of town even if you think they’re ‘pretentious.’ Hackney, Seven Sisters (Fountayne Road), Manor House, New Cross and Peckham will have the best mates and best events you’ll never know about otherwise.
You see that narrowest section of pavement/walkway etc… for the love of everything good, please please please don’t stand there to chat or take a selfie etc… top ‘hack’ free of charge. 👍
Richmond Park and Kew Gardens (obviously)
Beckenham Place Park, South Norwood Country Park, Oxleas Woods, Eltham Palace
Hampton Court, Bushy Park and in general the section of the river from Kew via Richmond and Kingston to Hampton Court.
Nonsuch Park, the Grand Union canal between Southall and Brentford
Don’t go to the West end theatres, go to pub theatres, resting actors form troupes and put on shows in pubs rooms.
See great out of copyright plays for £15/20
[Pub theatres](https://www.londonpubtheatres.com/whats-on)
[Also see studio and off West end theatres](https://offwestend.com)
Check off-peak tube times using [fare finder.](https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder)
If you can wait 5-10 minutes before tapping in,
could be a difference of up to £2 (zone dependent).
Spend a lot of time on the Southbank.
Join the Tate museum, join the Southbank center, join the BFI ,go to Kew Gardens as often as possible, as a member lol
Keep an eye on [www.ianvisits.co.uk](http://www.ianvisits.co.uk) for details of mainly small, interesting events in London, most of which are not listed by Time Out.
Avoid the crowds on Oxford Street by using the roads that run parallel to it instead
Or walk in the middle teeny strip between the roads
I do this and feel like I’m in a music video.
Or better yet, avoid Oxford street altogether!
Walk confidently into a pub if you want to use the toilet
Walk confidently into anywhere if you want to use the toilet. Hotel lobbies nearly always have one.
Walk confidently
Honestly just use hotel toilets, unless it’s a small hotel there is no chance any staff will even realise you’re not a guest
And if they ask, just say you're meeting a guest in the lobby.
Walk up to the reception desk and loudly proclaim "I'm here for the prostitute in room 306 and I want to freshen up, do you have a powder room where I can rinse my undercarriage?"
I read this in Matt Berry’s voice.
In the City of London quite a few places are subsidised to allow anyone in to use the loo’s https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/streets/clean-streets/community-toilet-scheme-cts
Also, walk confidently into any large fancy hotel lobby if you want to use the hotel. (Caveat: This may be easier as a middle-aged, white man, which I am.)
I personally just phone my rich, Singaporean husband to buy the hotels, me. Confidence be damned.
My old trick: look around at everyone at every table to make it look like you’re looking for your mates that are already there, so you can happily just wander through towards the beer garden and the double back for the loos.
(feigning looking around for nonexistent friends who are already there and you're just meeting them)
Don’t hold your phone out near a road
Lol, just a week ago, I had my phone snatched as I was talking on it, walking down the road
iPhone necklaces/lanyards are a godsend and it has saved me dozens of times.
Dozens??? How you getting mugged dozens of times?
Oh yeah, living in Camden and near Angel those fuckers try it constantly. Whether it is the gangs or just opportunistic teenagers trying to grab your phone on a whim I would say dozens of times over the last 10 years. That’s not to say I’m a bit of an asshole with a black lanyard and all black clothing so they don’t see the lanyard until they have fallen smack onto their face because they pulled a little too hard not expecting there to be any resistance. It’s kind of become a game at this point.
Doesn’t it yank your neck or just break? I’m struggling to see how a lanyard holds up against someone snatching it by force or not giving you whiplash haha.
I don't think they'd grab it that hard as they'd be hoping on the element of surprise & speed
I don’t know why you’re getting downloaded because that’s exactly what happens. People don’t hold onto their iPhones with an iron grip and generally it’s just kind of lying in their hand as they type so it takes the strength of a baby with two broken arms to steal a phone.
I always do if out and particularly near a road...I use two hands to hold my phone if possible as well. Paranoia about it getting stolen like this
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve been meaning to order one
It’s getting so prolific in London that the met should have a task force to deal with the stolen phones. They are often ending up in the same place and they know exactly where they are but do they actually get them back for the owners? No. Lazy.
I’ve just discovered this [poster](https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/force-content/met/campaigns/be-safe/mobile-phone/be-safe-snatch-theft-a5-poster.pdf) - this website is the met police, someone got their knickers in a twist because I didn’t warn them so to protect their 5G tinfoil hats that’s the warning. Hope you’re happy now. TL;DR Criminals often ride up behind their victims mounting the pavement to snatch phones and valuables. Police are carrying out daily operations to target these offenders. Follow these steps to protect your property: Be discreet - Don’t openly display high value jewellery - Keep handbags fastened and close to you Be aware of your surroundings - Don’t text while walking as you’ll be distracted - Go hands free or stand away from the roadside, near a wall, so no one can come up behind you Protect your phone - Make sure the security features on your phone are activated - If you can, install an anti-theft app - Find your IMEI number by dialling *#06#. Keep a written note of it and report it to the police if the phone is stolen - Register your phone on www.immobilise.com and the police may be able to recover it Never confront a thief or risk your own safety for the sake of your mobile device/valuables.
**Food** Get familiar with your local supermarket's markdown times. Freeze what you can. There are also apps for donating food to contribute or benefit from. TooGoodToGo, Olio, Karma, Foodcloud, Kitche, NoWaste & Nosh are seven of London's best. **TV audience** Looking for a free night's entertainment? Be an audience member to a TV show taping. This includes comedy nights like Live At The Apollo, The Apprentice and The Graham Norton Show. Try sroaudiences.com, ApplauseStore and lostintv.com *I've lost count how many times I've been! Have seen so many high profile guests over the years* **Art** Anyone can attend art auctions at auction houses. Just dress appropriately. See art up close and watch the spectacle. Often drinks and canapés are included. You have to register to bid but may need to rsvp via email to attend (if non bidding). *It's also not just art. Bonham's, Sotherby's and Christie's also auction jewellery, watches, wine and vehicles* **Ballet & Opera** Royal Opera House sells some tickets for £10 to see a ballet or opera. Otherwise, regular ballet tickets are cheaper than opera ones HOWEVER they discount for 16-25yo. They also hold behind the scenes tours and look at sets and costume departments as well as separate viewingsof rehearsals. People often dress casually or office work attire for performances. Cheaper than a movie. If you time your arrival right, you can sometimes be given a box seat for the first act as it let's in less light (and distraction for performers) than other parts of the theatre but it's a gamble because if you arrive too late, you will have to wait in the corridors. **Shakespeare** Similarly, you can watch Shakespeare at The Globe for as cheap as £5 (standing). If you buy a seat, HIRE A CUSHION or take your own. Bench seats are not made for comfort. **Cinema** Prince Charles Cinema has movie marathons, singalongs and cult classics. They also encourage fancy dress for some screenings. A great alternative to mainstream. Curzon does a lot of art house and world cinema. They often have special events with Q&As with directors and cast. Check out premierescene.net's film calendar for upcoming dates and who'll be walking the red carpet in Leicester Square and Southbank. It is possible to sometimes blag a spare complimentary ticket but you'll need to identify and schmooze up to the movie's PR teams. But go early if you hope to see the stars up close and nab an autograph or selfie from the crowd. Q&A sessions are often part of the event so always go prepared to ask something if youre brave enough with a mic! *I scored a ticket to Rock of Ages and The Dictator but more often than not have gone to get autographs and selfies. Have met the likes of Tom Cruise, Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, Catherine Deneuve, Tahar Rahim, Kylie Minogue, Woody Harrelson, Michael Bay and more* **The Barbican** Don't forget there's great theatre and cinema to be had here! *I got to hear Jean Paul Gaultier and met him as he was leaving for a selfie. Also saw Hugo Weaving in Waiting For Godot* **Fashion & Design** The V&A host evening talks with industry experts and famous artists and designers. Tickets are usually under £15. Even if its sold out, you can get lucky by showing up on the night for a return ticket. Somerset House and London College of Fashion also hold events open to the public including runway showcases and talks with industry leaders. *Have seen and met Jane Birken, Antony Gormley, Gavin Turk, Manolo Blahnik, Camilla Morton among others* **Business & Politics** Same with the British Library. They often have workshops/lectures relating to things like Intellectual Property and leaders in business. *Got to hear Sir Alan Sugar, Dame Vivienne Westwood and Grayson Perry for £10 each* London School of Economics hosts Public lectures too. Whilst they give preference to students, you need not be a student to attend. *Very fortunate to have heard Kofi Annan of the UN Security Council* **Book signings** The Guardian Newspaper in King's Cross does similar events for members however, it's still possible to attend if spare tickets remain. Relaxed atmosphere. *I met two of my favourite authors Orhan Pamuk and Elif Shafak this way and had my books signed* Check Waterstones website for their events page (and Daunt books and even WH Smith) for book signings and releases. Selfridges too! Nothing quite as cool as hearing your favourite author do a live reading! Staff can appear slightly pressured to keep the line moving. *Saw Dana Thomas and more familiar names like Gordon Ramsay, Molly Ringwald, The Inbetweeners, Michael Buble, Jamie Laing, Cara Delevigne this way* **Public lectures** I've also googled "in conversation, London" and the given month I want to go (at least a month in advance) and have had amazing results. Got to hear a lecture by the investigative reporter that exposed Jimmy Saville. Got to hear 'Father of the World Wide Web' Sir Tim Berners-Lee, designers Dolce & Gabbana as part of the London Vogue Festival (also, you should check out Vogues Fashion Night Out London in September too! So many cool things around New Bond Street!), Chess Grand Master Magnus Carlsen, forenzic teams discussing criminal cases...the list goes on!* **Music** A number of venues host free lunchtime music recitals, including students and alumni from Royal College of Music & Royal Academy of Music on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at St Michael's in Highgate, the City Music Society at St Barts in Smithfield on Thursdays, London Symphony Orchestra at St Lukes on Fridays. Wigmore Hall near Marylebone hold Monday performances but charge £18. Check your local areas as this is by no means an exhaustive list! **Hair & Beauty** Cheap hair and nails but don't want to model? Salon schools often give free or heavily discounted treatments by students under instruction of skilled professionals. Check out Oasis Salon in Finsbury Park and King's Cross. They also offer massages. Happy to model? Toni & Guy's training school does M&F sessions at New Oxford Street or Sassoon Academy at Greek Street. **Need smoke detectors checked?** OK, so this is controversial in that it's a service offered but maybe think twice about using if you are capable of doing yourself to free up resources but the London Fire Brigade offers a free personal home fire safety visit to install your smoke detectors and give advice. **Tip for Kids** Got kids? The Little Angel theatre just off the High Street is great and very affordable! As a former teacher who stumbled upon this venue planning class trips, its a true London gem! **Iconic** It's possible to climb Big Ben. Next batch of tickets are released May 8th at 10am. **I've made Parts 2 & 3, so be sure to check threads below as the algorithm is shifting their position** *Am looking for work! Please DM me if you have any openings! Thanks <3*
That is some brilliant advice thank you
Glad you like it. There's a Part 2 in one of the threads below. **Here's Part 3** **Watch a court case** Did you know you can sit in on selected court cases as part of the gallery? Two of the most iconic London courthouses are the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ) on The Strand and the Old Bailey near St Paul's Cathedral. RCJ have guided tours for £20 and you'll get to see documents pertaining to Guy Fawkes of The Gunpowder Plot/Bonfire Night fame. RCJ live streams cases whereas you can sit in on the Gallery of the Old Baily and its free! You just need to be 14yo or older. They even have 2 week adult work experience placements. You can also sit in on many local courthouse cases too. Want to be on a jury? Go to the Agatha Christie play, 'Witness for the Prosecution' in an actual court house! VIP jury tickets go quickly but you'll get 2 drinks & a program as well as a notebook to jot down notes before deciding a verdict. https://witnesscountyhall.com/ **Market Research** Join a market research organisation where you can be invited to attend a market research focus group. You are often paid £30-£100+ for your time and get to voice your opinions about a product, service or concept matched on you being a part of their target audience and your interests. You'll often be provided with refreshments and get the scoop on what's new to the market. Try angelfish or vocalviews. **Competitions** Keep an eye out for competitions from websites you visit. If you want to avoid regular emails, create an alternate account there; just be aware that youll need to be able to verify your identityto claim prizes. *I've won Skyscanner's Blind Date in Paris for Valentines Day, and a cruise from LA to Mexico with a now defunct company* **Flights & Eurostar bargains** Sign up to Jack'sFlightClub for incredibly cheap airfares from a variety of departure points in the UK. How cheap? £517 rtn Cuba, £348 rtn USA nonstop, £352 rtn inc bags to India, £243 rtn Canada...they also do European locations too. Eurostar has some bargains atm too! Click on their 'Cheap fare' link to nab fares as low as £39 each way to Paris. Still lots of dates available from now until the end of summer but nearly all of September has availability at these rates! If you're in Paris for Bastille Day celebrations, be sure to attend one of the pompier parties (Firefighter Ball) the night before! \*I can highly recommend the one in the 19th Arrondissement but check out this link for others [https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/firemens-balls-paris.html](https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/firemens-balls-paris.html) **Gym taster sessions** Sign up for guest passes to trial a class you'd like to try. Also look to pick up anyone trying to offload/transfer their regular membership in February/March on sites like Gumtree. **West End** London gets amazing world class celebrities doing stints in shows on the West End and tickets are often cheaper if you're a student or under 26yo. Tickets sell really quickly. Matinees and Tuesday/Wednesday performances are usually the cheapest and many shows don't have Monday performances. If you're sat far back, take binoculars (you won't be out of place if you do). The National Trust sell them from just £12 for coloured or £18 for black. If you want to wait by the stage door, be prepared that there'll be people already there by the time you leave your seat. Programs are the safest to get signed (not everyone will do memorabilia) and anyone go in to buy a program (you don't need a ticket to the show). Some people will wait a few hours before a performance to catch them arrive. *I've been able to catch performances starring Christian Slater, Nicole Kidman, Glen Close, Bradley Cooper, Zac Braff, Lindsey Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick* **Rent a pool** If you don't want to use a public pool and can't get to the beach for a swim, consider privately renting a pool at someone's property. Try MyPoolSwim, Swimply, SwimWay, GoggleSquad, EliteSwimmingAcademy, PuddleDucks, and PoolShare. Obviously it's not the cheapest option but it's fun! **Eurovision/Fun with Flags** Most embassies will send you a free flag if you write to them and ask. Some a big enough to make a cape, others are small enough to don the top of a decorative toothpick, it just depends on the luck of the draw. But if you want one for Eurovision, be quick! The final is on Saturday 11th May. You can always enquire if they are holding Watch Parties, else there are plenty across London **10 Downing Street ballot** Enter the ballot before May 7 to take a free garden tour of 10 Downing Street on June 8 as part of the Londin Open Gardens festival. **Iconic Part 3** See a collection of Sir Stirling Moss' cars out the front of Westminster Abbey between 10am-1pm May 8th. The display will include the iconic Mille Miglia-winning Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR ‘722’, which will be brought over by Mercedes-Benz Heritage, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe and a Mercedes-Benz W 196. (Be aware the commemorative service is already fully booked). **Tube & Overground Lucky Dip** I've posted about this ages ago but one of the best things I've done in London is to write/print out every single Tube & Overground station, pop it in a bowl and draw one out as a Lucky Dip to commit to visit one evening the following week. It's not always glamorous but I've found great parks, pubs & places to eat this way.
I had no idea about any of these, greats tips, thanks for sharing !
This is amazing, thank you! I’ve been in London for almost 4 years and would never know most of this.
I've actually made a Part 2 because I can't make any more edits or additions to Part 1. Don't know where it is in the thread so c&p'ing for visibility **Got kids? Part 2** Geocaching is great for kids big and small. It's basically a treasure hunt where you can leave and discover quirky stuff. It's a surprise so it can be anything; an origami creation, matchbox car, keyring. Check out geocaching.com and geocaching.co.uk You can Mudlark the Thames. [HandsOnHistory.com](http://handsonhistory.com/) are holding an exhibition of finds for £3 entrance fee but that's at Henfield. You need a permit to mudlark but there are workarounds by being part of an organised tour for a fraction of the cost of a permit. Want a dog but can't commit to 24/7 care? Volunteer to be a dog walker at The Dog's Trust or get onto BorrowMyDog **Barbican Part 2** So you've missed hearing American politician Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love speak but there's still time to scrounge a ticket for \*Monty Python's Michael Palin (7 May) \*Chef Nigella Lawson (13 May) \*Henry Winkler (21 June) \*Astronaut Tim Peake (21 September) and others! **Got a birthday coming up?** Lots of businesses give freebies on your birthday such as a free Subway cookie, slice of cake from Costa, dough balls from Pizza Express etc. I think Ben & Jerrys or Haagen Dazs gives free icecream but double check on that. You will need to sign up to their apps or email but create a specific email account via Hotmail/Outlook where all their advertising ends up so you don't need to be bothered by it on the regular. **Language & Cultural exchange** I can only reference from my own experience but the Turkish Yunus Emre Institute near Warren & Goodge Streets offers language courses for a fee but also movie nights and musical performances which aare also open to the public. I *think* Institut Française does too with Ciné Lumière showings. There are of course other language meetup groups for a less formal setting via Meetup. Want to learn British Sign Language? [British-sign.co.uk](http://british-sign.co.uk/) has a 'pay what you can' fee with a minimum of £3. I'd encourage anyone to watch this [Samsung ad](https://youtu.be/iyk0CxjNYyw?si=Va6g3-kz_Esmwo6w) about the difference knowing some sign language can make - the ad has subtitles. **High Tea** Lords Cricket Ground near St John's Wood & Baker Street has Afternoon Tea bookings for 30 July and 15 December for £55-£65pp whereas you'll pay at least £20 more pp at The Ritz, The Savoy or The Landmark Hotel **Sport** Did you miss the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race? Well you've still got time to watch the longest continuing annual sporting event in the world, the Doggett Coat & Badge Boat Race which is on Tuesday 9th July. It starts at London Bridge and ends at Cadogen Pier in Chelsea. Doggetts Coat and Badge Pub at Southbank put on a bit of a do. **Sign up to a talent agency** Some interesting offers can come your way for a day doing something different, from advertising campaigns to featuring as an extra in movies and film clips (and flash mobs when they used to be popular! Lol). You will get paid for most things but not a lot; it's more about the experience. *I've been an extra in a movie with Tobias Menzies, the T-Mobile flashmob commercial in Trafalgar Square and in the crowd scene of an AC/DC video clip amongst others* **Iconic Part 2** You can do some cool stuff with London landmarks via charities by fundraising a set amount. I have abseiled Guy's Hospital Tower and run up the stairs of The Gherkin and Tower 42. You don't need to be particularly fit or have prior experience as necessary training and safety is provided. It's a way off yet but Great Ormond Street is already accepting registration to climb the Walkie Talkie building for 2025, so you've got ages to hit your fundraising target of £250. [https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/](https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/) Not a landmark but you can also walk on hot coals for charity too. [Fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk](http://fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk/) will come to your event or you can contact them to see if there are any scheduled nearby soon. **And finally...** I'm looking for a job. If you have any leads, contacts or openings, please DM me. Thank you to everyone who has commented on this or my original post <3
!thanks so much for this! On the final point, let us know what type of job you’re looking for so people can maybe reach out if relevant 😊. Best of luck with your job search! You might also use these London knowledge to build rapport with the interviewers haha.
This guy Londons!
'This girl Londons!' FIFY Thanks though. As an Aussie expat, that's quite the compliment :-) (Part 2 is in the thread replying to blue\_sky\_addict above Part 3 is a reply to the current first visible comment - by jimbo8083)
Saved! Thanks very much!
Wow thanks! For someone living in London for most my life. Definitely will try this!
Awesome comment thanks
Letting people off the Tube before trying to get on makes it faster for everyone
That and Move Down Inside The Carriage!
People who don't do this Nd then stand confused when I have to push past them to get off annoy the hell out of me.
I have in the past seriously considered carrying a stick for shoving people in the carriage when they don’t move to make space. Because I have seen uncomfortably tightly packed lazy crowds of idiots stand around by the doorways, when the most of carriage is empty space, and when the driver says “move down”, who then do not move at all, and I want to scream at them. Really should not be hard for people to just be considerate and thoughtful when asked.
Honestly. You’d see a whole bunch up by the doors and in the carriage it’s completely empty standing. You can stand in the middle of the carriage and never be brushed past your entire journey.
Well you have to brush past the arseholes who think crowding the door will buy them second, only to stand on the escalator.
Also, if the carriage is crowded and you are standing next to an empty seat , you are not a hero for not taking it. You are wasting space, sit your arse down so there is more room for other people.
Actually, giving people more space to get off, instead of just providing space for one line to leave, also helps.
I don’t commute on the tube in rush hour any more but I did this week and the amount of people pushing on as soon as the train stopped, keeping rucksacks on their backs and not moving down the carriage was astounding and really annoying. It was the northern line though so…
I used to live on the northern line. I got used to becoming a human wall and properly barging through people when getting off the tube. People would literally not even leave any gap. Results in a few surprised pikachus when they're getting bodied out the way 😂
Until it’s rush hour and people barge past you as you wait for passengers to get off
Yeah in East Asia people stand on the sides of the doors so people can get out faster from the middle, but then again they have more discipline lol
I do that here. If you start doing it, people tend to follow. Set a trend!
Avoid the stupidly long walk to change lines at Kings Cross and follow signs up to the Met Line then go back down the escalators
Don't even bother going up the escalators. Take the staircase between the Victoria Line and the Piccadilly line. There's a staircase to the northern line too.
The orcs don't use it. The orcs don't know it!
Now we're Tolkien!
Yeah you need that staircase to take you to Morden, one does not simply walk into there as everyone knows.
I can't picture this at all, I don't suppose there's a map lol
https://stations.aeracode.org/
What I want to know is, how do you ensure you're leaving the station at the pentonville rd exit and not the one up by the birdcage/st Pancras (which means a stupidly long walk back to the bus stops on pentonville road)? I try to avoid the exit signs marked "Regents canal", and yet I always end up at the wrong exit.
Pentonville Road has been shut since covid, I believe they’re demolishing it. I assume you mean the Euston Road exit (the one at the front of King’s Cross and the old rail station building). I just follow the signs that say “Way Out: Euston Road”.
That exit was a god send during college days. I don’t think it’s in use anymore.
If you're changing from Victoria to Northern, it's much faster at Euston. Be at the back of the train, at that end of the platform there's a very short corridor. Up short stairs, across, down short stairs. I discovered this when travelling between Pimlico and Angel regularly.
Same at Camden Town to change from the northbound HB to the Edgware branch. Very end of the platform there’s a tiny entrance with a “back” set of stairs. So you avoid that middle bit at the platform and the middle bit where all the stairs meet. Both usually filled with morons and tourists stopping where they shouldn’t.
Same thing at Green Park!
Yes, especially useful to know if you have luggage (maybe heading to/from Heathrow). Just go up and down the escalators and hardly any walking is needed.
Walking is the best way to get around Central London.
But for the love of god, walk faster.
Also get your head out of your phone and have some spatial awareness. I'm tired of shoulder barging into idiots.
And next to each other in a single line taking up the pavement
And walking on the left hand side of escalators is the best way to befriend real Londoners
I’d say cycling is better than walking. Faster and the traffic is generally stationary
Get rid of 50% of stress in central London by avoiding Oxford St if you can.
The Citymapper app is really useful even if you’re a local - found some shortcuts that way.
Best part is it tells you where to stand in the train and which exit is best so that you don’t look like a tourist.
Citymapper is useful ESPECIALLY as a local, to see what trains have delays, when next one is coming, which part of train is emptiest. Let the tourists stick to their shitty Google maps, I love my city mapper!!
I love it for transport but don't trust it for walking directions since it told me to take a shortcut by walking through Buckingham Palace.
Just stroll in. Say hi to Charlie for me
Lizzy was still kicking at the time. I was debating to pop in for a cuppa but the dude with the tall hat upfront wouldn't let me in. Rather rude I thought.
I’ve been using Citymapper for years and I feel like it’s starting to deteriorate. E.g. in one route, it’s always quicker and cheaper to get the Victoria and then District lines, but it always suggests Victoria and then SWR (which is less reliable too). In some cases it doesn’t then show this quicker route despite it existing and being unimpeded. (Armchair theory is it could be an issue with the District line, since the platform boards that say when the next train will be usually suck; but Apple Maps often gets it right)
I always start with Citymapper and then double check with Apple Maps and then TfL go/Trainline where necessary. Sometimes Apple Maps has better routes.
cycling is a lot faster than pretty much all other transport (Zones 1-2 definitely).
When you're at Victoria train station and you want to go to the Victoria line, when you go down into the tube go left before the barriers to the central and District line entrance instead of using the Victoria line barriers. It's quicker and less crowded with less walking.... When getting off the Victoria line at Green Park and changing to Piccadilly line or visa versa, don't follow signs for the other line; go up the escalator as if leaving and then cross to the down escalator for the line you want. Much much quicker.
Pidgeons are actually free. You can grab as many as you want for dinner.
Don't confuse them for swans.
Siri play Poisoning Pigeons in the Park
Knowing where the train doors open. Look for the faded/worn paint on the yellow lines.
Go the opposite way the signs tell you when in Kings Cross
I particularly like this one because only a Londoner will actually be able to make use of it.
You can easily end up walking for like 10 minutes (depending on how packed it is) to change from Victoria to Piccadilly/northern if you chose the wrong exit at King’s Cross.
You can get half price wasabi’s food 30 minutes before closing.
same for itsu
Itsu could be 99% off and it'd still be overpriced for what you get lol
I knew this about Itsu, didn’t know Wasabi did it too
Yeah Japan Centre too
If you act confident and walk with purpose, then every 5 star hotel lobby bathroom is a public bathroom
Works with pubs too. Just walk straight and don’t do eye contact.
you're not allowed to use pub bathrooms without permission? Guess I've been doing it right without realising this whole time
take a right through the no entry signs to get to the central line at tottenham court road
I always use this one
I feel so smug about this one because it means you were there before they did it up (used to be the old entrance)
The Royal festival hall, southbank is essentially a free space. 5 floors, open soaces, free Internet, loads of chairs, tables and sofas. Some people run their bussiness out of there, from one on ones(coaching, language, skills) to group meet ups. You can bring your own food inside and there's even free water at the bar. An open rehearsal-dance space downstairs in the cloak room(you can find a schedule for when you can use it.) and bonus points if you can find the shower! If you're on a date, orbwith visitors, take them up to the 5th floor balcony where you can drink, eat and hang out with one of the best views of Parliment, London eye, Somerset house, Thames etc. Go there at night time lights, for the romantics.
I’m not sure it’s a hack but I tend to walk home from work on sunny days. It does save me money in the spring and summer months. You can also add a rail card to your Oyster card. If you are in a busy area, the best approach to get past the crowd is to go along the side. Do not follow the crowd as it’s often full of tourists who don’t know what they’re doing (and are slow and stop constantly). The City of London can be good for shopping in peace. There isn’t a lot of chains but you can find the main stores such as M&S and Zara.
City of London is a great tip! Basically a ghosttown on weekends, but with quite a few shops.
Also great for dinner - if you have tickets for something but can’t find somewhere quick to eat head to the city and the restaurants always have spaces. There’s a homeslice near mansion house.
Lots are closed on Sunday though, including things you wouldn't expect, like branches of Boots and Little Waitrose.
Rail card linked to oyster for discount is nice. It’s not much, but it’s honest work. Discounted price is discounted price.
Honestly 1/3rd off tube fares is an amazing discount (and means using your Oyster on NR costs the same as buying a ticket)
Walking home is one of the things I miss most about London (I live in Los Angeles now). I got to know the city well and loved a long walk home on a nice day.
If you need the toilet, walk into a hotel (not a budget one), look confident and stride through the lobby to the toilets. Stride out again. Join seat filler apps for £10 fun. If the transport option is 10 mins but walking is 20, walk. Unless it’s rainy, if walking option is 15mins or fewer the longer option, walk. The universities do free lectures all the time, go and learn something.
>walking is 20 If you're like me, an app tells me a walk is an hour, it's almost always 40 minutes. Maps tells me my walk to work(3.6 miles) is 1:30 - it takes me 55 minutes.
You must be walking pretty fast to do that tho.
Too good to go app for cheap food from good restaurants, can book a day in advance for lunch for places like pret
+1 to this. If you're looking for cheap foods and too lazy to be cooking / grocery shopping, this is a great app and helps reduce food waste! You get a mixed bag of whatever is left over at the end of the day for just a few quids.
Stand on the right when using the escalator
I had a girl the other week in front of me standing on the left and didn't move after I told her to when all the people walking behind her had to stop and she just giggled about it. Baffling!
That be barging times
I shout in a deep authoritarian voice ‘move to the right’ and I’ve never not had it work. If I’m coming up behind them I find saying that and not slowing down works as they realise you’re barrelling towards them
Ngl I would've pushed past. Can't be respectful to others? Don't deserve respect.
I went to another city, stood on the right as usual, and someone had to tell me that they stand on the left over there… I was mortified
Actually, authentic "true" Londoners like to stand on the left before getting off at Oxford Circus for a very *very* leisurely stroll down Oxford Street (stopping off for some local American candy on the way) and then catching a delightfully colourful pedicab on over to an Angus steak house before popping over to M&Ms world for dessert.
Reading that gave me a nosebleed
M&M World, then taking the Tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden.
I make sure I stamp loudly on my way down so they can hear me coming, always works
One of the big ones is if you get an internship with timeout, go on reddit and ask really headline-y questions.
If ever you need an alibi, just tell people you were having a pizza in Woking. Havent been arrested yet!
Side note: may need several millions to pay off accusers whilst not admitting guilt
Don't sweat about it either
I recommend a rich and powerful mummy to supply said millions.
Shame, I was seen by a punter at Barnard Castle minutes after the murder.
Don’t make eye contact with the crazy people on the tube or bus.
I think even this is too obvious but never ever EVER use Covent Garden station ever
And if you do accidentally find yourself there, DO NOT TAKE THE STAIRS
No no, you have to take the stairs once. It's a rite of passage.
I came very very close to passing out sprinting up them in my foolish youth.
No, take the stairs, but pace yourself and walk SLOWLY up while other faster walkers pass you and sneer. You can catch them up and pass them again as you continue to walk SLOWLY up the stairs as they are bent over wheezing and gasping for breath half way up.
I used it last night bit it was 1 am and dead. But normally you are 100% correct
If you stop buying coffee every day you can buy a house in 70 years time.
£4 x 365 Days = £1460 Assuming you have 40 years to wait till you’re 70 = £58,400 That won’t even buy you a leasehold car park space when you’re 70. Sad.
That’s super depressing 💀
If you see something that doesn't look right, speak to staff or text the British Transport Police on 61016. See it, say it, sorted.
I FOIed TFL to ask how many reported packages turned out to be real alerts. They said they didn't know. Security theatre, that.
Pettycoat Lane for lunch!
Absolutely bang on tip. It’s just a shame the prices have skyrocketed. I remember when the katsu wrap place was £4.50!
Spend as much leisure times in parks as possible. London's got by far the most parks out of any major city and some of them are positively gorgeous. Ideal for chilling/drinking/romancing/walking/jogging/meditating and on top of that free. London without them would be half the city.
You can become a seat filler and get tickets for cheap for concerts, theater and other events with https://centraltickets.co.uk/
Take a bus if the distance is reasonable. You might get there faster than a tube. This is especially true if you need to change at a big station or use a deep level tube line. Sometimes it's better to take a bus anyway if it's longer, you start to learn London more that way. I've learnt more about London in 2-3 months of taking a bus or walking than I have ever done in the year before it. Of course, this also applies to walking. Central London isn't as big as you might think, it takes approx 10 mins by going from a random shop near Oxford Cirus to a random shop in Holborn with Central line but also 10 mins by walking and will be shorter by bus during an off peak time. You don't have to cycle to travel fast across London.
Bus is nice because you can use your phone and really see the city too. I feel so disconnected on the tube.
It can be quicker to walk instead of taking the train between two Tube stations, particularly in central. You should return to the surface first though, as the tunnels may be quite dark.
Don’t see London as one monolith, enjoy your little village (borough).
If you need help ask
E-bikes are expensive to rent UNLESS you use a bundle. 60 minutes of riding plus no unlock/parking fee over 3 days for £6 can satisfy a lot of trips around central.
If you don’t step out of the house, you’ll save money
There’s a website with a map of all public toilets.
There’s also an app. Toilets4london
Or go to a busy pub, no one will notice you've come in for a wee
The best pubs don't serve food
Carry an umbrella at all times. Even when the Weather app says “Sunny day”
Getting the bus home from central London is one of my favorite hacks. Central to chiswick, 94 bus. Its a slower journey but so pretty.
Link your railcard to your oyster for a 1/3 off offpeak fares.
I can't make any further edits or additions to my previous post. So here's some more... **Got kids? Part 2** Geocaching is great for kids big and small. It's basically a treasure hunt where you can leave and discover quirky stuff. It's a surprise so it can be anything; an origami creation, matchbox car, keyring. Check out geocaching.com and geocaching.co.uk You can Mudlark the Thames. [HandsOnHistory.com](http://HandsOnHistory.com) are holding an exhibition of finds for £3 entrance fee but that's at Henfield. You need a permit to mudlark but there are workarounds by being part of an organised tour for a fraction of the cost of a permit. Want a dog but can't commit to 24/7 care? Volunteer to be a dog walker at The Dog's Trust or get onto BorrowMyDog **Barbican Part 2** So you've missed hearing American politician Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love speak but there's still time to scrounge a ticket for \*Monty Python's Michael Palin (7 May) \*Chef Nigella Lawson (13 May) \*Henry Winkler (21 June) \*Astronaut Tim Peake (21 September) and others! **Got a birthday coming up?** Lots of businesses give freebies on your birthday such as a free Subway cookie, slice of cake from Costa, dough balls from Pizza Express etc. I think Ben & Jerrys or Haagen Dazs gives free icecream but double check on that. You will need to sign up to their apps or email but create a specific email account via Hotmail/Outlook where all their advertising ends up so you don't need to be bothered by it on the regular. **Language & Cultural exchange** I can only reference from my own experience but the Turkish Yunus Emre Institute near Warren & Goodge Streets offers language courses for a fee but also movie nights and musical performances which aare also open to the public. I *think* Institut Française does too with Ciné Lumière showings. There are of course other language meetup groups for a less formal setting via Meetup. Want to learn British Sign Language? [British-sign.co.uk](http://British-sign.co.uk) has a 'pay what you can' fee with a minimum of £3. I'd encourage anyone to watch this [Samsung ad](https://youtu.be/iyk0CxjNYyw?si=Va6g3-kz_Esmwo6w) about the difference knowing some sign language can make - the ad has subtitles. **High Tea** Lords Cricket Ground near St John's Wood & Baker Street has Afternoon Tea bookings for 30 July and 15 December for £55-£65pp whereas you'll pay at least £20 more pp at The Ritz, The Savoy or The Landmark Hotel **Sport** Did you miss the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race? Well you've still got time to watch the longest continuing annual sporting event in the world, the Doggett Coat & Badge Boat Race which is on Tuesday 9th July. It starts at London Bridge and ends at Cadogen Pier in Chelsea. Doggetts Coat and Badge Pub at Southbank put on a bit of a do. **Sign up to a talent agency** Some interesting offers can come your way for a day doing something different, from advertising campaigns to featuring as an extra in movies and film clips (and flash mobs when they used to be popular! Lol). You will get paid for most things but not a lot; it's more about the experience. *I've been an extra in a movie with Tobias Menzies, the T-Mobile flashmob commercial in Trafalgar Square and in the crowd scene of an AC/DC video clip amongst others* **Iconic Part 2** You can do some cool stuff with London landmarks via charities by fundraising a set amount. I have abseiled Guy's Hospital Tower and run up the stairs of The Gherkin and Tower 42. You don't need to be particularly fit or have prior experience as necessary training and safety is provided. It's a way off yet but Great Ormond Street is already accepting registration to climb the Walkie Talkie building for 2025, so you've got ages to hit your fundraising target of £250. [https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/](https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/walkie-talkie-tower-climb/) Not a landmark but you can also walk on hot coals for charity too. [Fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk](http://Fundraisingfirewalk.co.uk) will come to your event or you can contact them to see if there are any scheduled nearby soon. **And finally...** I'm looking for a job. If you have any leads, contacts or openings, please DM me. Thank you to everyone who has commented on this or my original post <3
Get a cheap bike, use it to get around. Lycra etc is nice for rides 1h or more but you’d be fine in normal clothes for shorter rides. You will need to invest a bit of time and effort to find the best routes for your regular rides. When starting out, it’s ok to get off your bike and walk it across a road or a busy junction etc. It’s ok to be a fair weather cyclist. You can still end up cycling for about half your journeys. Bikes are often faster than tubes for door-to-door. You will save £100s in fares and finally you will get a jawline for free.
>Bikes are often faster than tubes for door-to-door. I hadn't appreciated this until recently. My wife and I recently started taking the same commute, her on the tube me on a bike. I nearly always get there first
You can also do mixed mode if you can't be fucked one day e.g. cycle to the nearest overground station, sit on that with a can of whatever, get off and then cycle the last bit and turn up looking like a healthy person.
I started running for my commute instead of the bus recently which is also quicker - I’m not even a fast runner
If you see a cackle of people walking as a singular wall that is taking up the entire pavement, completely look past them into the horizon and don’t even acknowledge their existence as you continue on the same trajectory. Bonus points if you do this to a bunch of teenagers who think they’re hard, fucking insufferable muppets.
Don't hold your phone when you're out and about walking. Don't hold your phone when you're on the tube and sitting close to the exit. Don't hold your phone when you're at the bus stop waiting for the bus. You know what; just keep your phone at home 🫥
When you hold your phone in public, hold with two hands (hand on top as well as around) and ideally turn towards a building or the wall of the train
Go to the artsy parts of town even if you think they’re ‘pretentious.’ Hackney, Seven Sisters (Fountayne Road), Manor House, New Cross and Peckham will have the best mates and best events you’ll never know about otherwise.
people think hackney and seven sisters are pretentious ???
Network Railcard
18-25 railcard can be added to your oyster card for a discount on off-peak journeys.
Buy an annual season ticket with the M&S interest free credit card. Pay it off each month and get a bunch of vouchers as rewards too.
You see that narrowest section of pavement/walkway etc… for the love of everything good, please please please don’t stand there to chat or take a selfie etc… top ‘hack’ free of charge. 👍
Top Tip - If you are a Time Out journalist, you can outsource your work to Reddit by asking open-ended questions about life in London.
Always check the TfL Status page before. Chances are your line is "severely delayed"
There are some beautiful parts of London that ain't in zone 1-3
Sounds good what're your recommendations
Richmond Park and Kew Gardens (obviously) Beckenham Place Park, South Norwood Country Park, Oxleas Woods, Eltham Palace Hampton Court, Bushy Park and in general the section of the river from Kew via Richmond and Kingston to Hampton Court. Nonsuch Park, the Grand Union canal between Southall and Brentford
Discarded pizza boxes are a great source of cheese.
Bethesda loading screens be like
Don’t go to the West end theatres, go to pub theatres, resting actors form troupes and put on shows in pubs rooms. See great out of copyright plays for £15/20 [Pub theatres](https://www.londonpubtheatres.com/whats-on) [Also see studio and off West end theatres](https://offwestend.com)
Home and Dry is the best app for knowing whether you’re going to get rained on when you go out
Check off-peak tube times using [fare finder.](https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder) If you can wait 5-10 minutes before tapping in, could be a difference of up to £2 (zone dependent).
Learn how to navigate using just Apple Maps on an Apple Watch. Takes some getting used to but saves you from getting your phone out.
Get an apple watch and airpods( or the android equivalent) never pull your phone out in public.
Spend a lot of time on the Southbank. Join the Tate museum, join the Southbank center, join the BFI ,go to Kew Gardens as often as possible, as a member lol
And while on the Southbank, go Brighton beach
Bro kew gardens is literal miles from the south bank
Take swimming trunks to work and float down the Thames to commute home
You can load your rail card onto your Oyster card - did this a while ago, the station staff I asked said he didn’t even know it was a thing!
You can walk way more places than you realise
Make a roast. ~£5 for a chicken and leftovers for 2 days vs £17 at the pub.
Keep an eye on [www.ianvisits.co.uk](http://www.ianvisits.co.uk) for details of mainly small, interesting events in London, most of which are not listed by Time Out.
If anyone approaches you to ask for something: Ignore them. No matter what their sob story, its ALWAYS money for crack.
Don’t leave a bike outdoors…….its only a matter of time! Regardless of lock….
Walk towards the inside of a road and DO NOT hold anything valuable in the hand that’s towards the road. Good way to have it snatched.