Pap's Productive Project

daphne_descends

PAP!

I am SO SO SO glad to see your name on here. I have not been on MSE for so long, as it seemed like everyone had drifted away... I am glad you didn't leave for good. I miss chatting on here. I am going to read your thread now xxx

beanielou

Long time no see daphene :wave:
Hows life?

postingalwaysposting

Sparkle, it does look nice and homely too. To be honest I don't really mind where I stay but on tripadvisor reviews for the travelodges were 2/3 stars so not good. Oh I am the same, I love planning stuff, Mum isn't impresed but I am :rotfl: Plus if you research and plan you find quirky things to do/see.

Colleen, ahh thats not too bad. Shame you may have to drop your wages but I did it a few years ago and I don't regret it nearly as much as I thought I would. Good luck on your decision.

DD! Wow how are you? Glad to see you back on MSE :T Oh yes many have left I returned and it seems everyone has left. Really nice to see you back, can't wait to catch up on your very busy life

Evening Beanie :j

So I have had a few spends in the past few days, £2 on a London map, £3.50 on a new bag (reduced), £1.50 on some cooking books in the charity shop and a £1 on a notebook. So £8, not too bad :)Today has been a well needed NSD and I think there will be a few before the 1st I have nothing planned and have plenty of food etc.

Still planning London and still working :j

Have a great week all...

greyfox

Hi,

Well done on finding Theatremonkey. It's a really useful site!

There's an official Theatre Ticket Booth (TKTS - a standalone building) in Leicester Square which sells reduced cost tickets on the day. (Whatever you do, don't go to any of the other booths in the area; many of their "cheap" tickets are for dreadful seats!) TKTS get decent seats, sometimes for little more than half-price, though that depends on the show. For example, today they had £61.50 tickets for Chicago at £33.50 and £65 tickets for Billy Elliot at £45. (Mama Mia seats aren't discounted.) Have a look here http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts/about_tkts/

Triker had a thread about cheap places to eat in London last week. Might be worth checking it out as several of us threw in our twopennoth.

BTW, if you're thinking of going to the Science Museum, it might be worth thinking about the V&A - perhaps instead of the Natural History. Might be more up your mother's street. They're all within a stone's throw. (Also within walking distance of Harrod's, if you fancy a gawp at the Food Halls, which have to be seen to be believed. You don't have to buy anything!!)

One final tip. Whatever you do, wear comfortable shoes. London is very hard on the feet!

greyfox

Hi, PAP,
As it will be your first time in London I’d strongly recommend the open top bus. (Can't remember if you had that on your list.) It gives a good overview of the main sites of London - with commentary - and is hop-on-hop-off (so you can spend time looking around the ones you’re interested in.) It’s about £25 per person for 48 hours (though you can sometimes get a discount if you buy in advance online). It may sound a lot but you’d be paying nearly that much in bus and Tube fares. One of the routes stops at Kings Cross/ St Pancras. Have a look here http://www.theoriginaltour.com/ (There are other companies, but this is the best one. We’ve had “first-timers” staying with us from France and the US, all of whom have found it really good, and there are several "extras" included on top of the bus itself.)

postingalwaysposting

Wow many thanks for all that info Greyfox. The tkts booth sounds great but I want it to be a little surprise for Mum while down there and I can't really 'lose' her to go and purchase them sadly. I think I will go for the £20 tickets through visit London as although they are listed as restricted though theatremonkey I don't think they can be that restricted. Either that or I wait and get some tickets through Laterooms, unsure yet

Will go and search that eating out thread as its one thing I haven't thought about. As we have a b&b booked we will prob skip luunch and have a nicer dinner.

I did think about the V&A as it will prob suit Mum, is it still free? Plus the location is great as you say. I don't think we will be going to harrods as its not really our cup of tea. Isn't there a market in London somewhere? I think thats more what Mum would enjoy.

I would love a London bus tour but as we have this river cruise (and London eye) free I don't think we will do both, great idea though. Plus we don't want to 'visit' many of the sites (well I do, Mum physically can't) only Tower Bridge, Buckingham, Regants park and Westminster Abbey. When/If I come back to London I will have a buus tours and see everything!

As you sound like you are either from London or seasoned traveler, do you know if Orange wednesday's run in London? Also how much approx is the cinema in London, I am guessing its more expensive than outside?

Many thanks for all your help, your a star :j

greyfox

Hi,

I’m not a born-and-bred Londoner but have lived in the suburbs for 20+ years and worked in Central London for about 20 years until I took early retirement three years ago so will do my best to help if I can!

Orange Wednesdays
Yes, there are several London cinemas which do Orange Wednesdays: EG, around Leicester Square there are Cineworld in the Haymarket, Apollo Picadilly, Odeons in Panton St , Leicester Square and Shaftsbury Avenue (which they call Covent Garden, just to confuse matters!) and Empire Leicester Square. If you go to this page http://web.orange.co.uk/p/film/cinema_tickets you can do a search. You can also sign-up for E-mails (further down on the same page). Don’t forget that Orange Wednesdays gives you 2 for 1 at Pizza Express, too. There are lots of those down here.

Cinema prices
I think they are rather more expensive in Central London. (Most things are, to be honest!) Just how much depends which one you go to. For example, an adult ticket at the Odeon in Leicester Square is about £10 (Mon – Thurs before 5pm) or £15+ at other times but at the Panton St one (about 200 metres away) it would be £7.30/£11.45. (They don’t both show all the same films.) It would be worth spending some time researching the various cinema websites a few days before you come down to see what’s on where & to find which cinema is cheapest for what you want to see.

Also worth subscribing to the MSE Free cinema tickets and Free Theatre & Concert tickets threads (on the Freebies board) a couple of weeks before you come down. London tickets come up regularly but you have to be quick; they tend to go very quickly once they’ve been posted on the board.

Museums
Yes, the V&A is free (except for special exhibitions). There is a collecting box at the entrance with a “suggested donation” but no pressure to make it (though a small one would be nice!)

Other free stuff
Have you found the London for Free site? If not, have a look here http://www.londonforfree.net/ Lots of stuff, including the museums and markets, is on there. (I must have a proper look myself sometime!) It includes a “DIY” bus tour – using normal London Buses – which isn’t actually free but is cheaper than the organised ones and takes in most of the Sights. (You don’t have to get off the bus at each one. For example, you may find that seeing Trafalgar Square from the top of the bus is enough!) See http://www.londonforfree.net/outdoors/bustour/bustour.shtml

BTW, it’s definitely worth getting Oyster cards as each fare is a lot cheaper that way and there is a daily “cap”, however many journeys you make. This is a good site for bus info http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefing/buses.htm with links to bus maps, the TFL site etc.

I think that’s given you enough to be going on with! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Enjoy planning your trip!

tootallulah

Hi Pap, your B&B is close to one of London's great markets - Borough Market which is a short bus ride from where you are staying.(15 -20 minute walk). All the national museums are free, a good tip is to get there after 2.00 when the school groups have gone home, it is much quieter, you are staying very close to the British Museum and the British Library (they have good exhibitions). Free London is a great web-site for finding unusual free deals. Restricted view theatre seats is a gamble but you might be OK, you would be unlucky if both seats had bad restricted views but the Victoria Palace is an old theatre so it could happen.

You definitely need a zone 1 travelcard or an Oyster card as paying single fares is VERY expensive. The tube is now £4 for a single journey and the bus is £2 for a single journey, your pass will pay for itself in a day or so.

I am going with my Mum to see Billy Elliot in a couple of weeks time, we are both looking forward to it.

tootallulah

Pap, I forgot, if you use the buses then you really get to see London and what famous sites are near to each other etc. The Tube is deceptive for distances. The buses are quick and reliable now.

My favourite is to get the number 12 from Oxford Circus to go to Westminster: it passes Piccadilly Circus, Eros, Nelson's column, Trafalgar square, goes down the Mall and drops you off at the House of Commons, next door to Westminster Abbey.

postingalwaysposting

Wow lots of London info, thankyou all so much :j

Greyfox, many thanks for all your info. I will look into Orange Wednesday cinemas if it will save me a few pennies. I was expecting to pay at least £13pp so thats not a bad price for either. I will certainly have a browse before, it depends whats showing too as Mum can be a funny sausage sometimes.

V&A seems a much better idea, we shall see on the day what the queues are like and go from there. The London for free site is amazing, certainly a great find I have found a few bits on there to do which will save a few pennies and keep us entertained.

I think Oysters are the way to go even with the £3 admin charge it will be a lot cheaper. As soon as we arrive we need to use teh tube to get to our B&B and even if we do go out later it will still be cheaper than single fares and taxis.

Thanks for all your help, I will certainly PM you if I find I need to know anything else

Tootallulah, may thanks for your imput Borough market looks like a good choice and as its so close we could do it as a morning activity before something in the afternoon. I am still unsure on the seats for th theatre. I think I will leave it until April ish and see what seats are avalible then. The seats are classed as 'ok' on theatre monkey but I am really unsure. Let me know if you the BE is good, I think its going to be amazing :T No 12 noted We have this river cruise thing to see the site from the river but it will be great to see the land ones from a red bus.

~~~

So I have neglected my diary for a while but thats because nothing has been happening. I know up there I mentioned lending some money out. Well that totals £450 As you can understand that was teh majority of my saves this month and I actuually only have £3 to my name until payday. However its got someone out of a sticking situation so thats all good. So I have written that money off a London money (once repayed), my half of the accomodation is £90 so that leaves over £300 while up there.

But that has set back my main savings by a month. Its annoying and frustrating but its done now. I have also spent very little in the way of spends this month, I haven't brought the dog lead or the bed sheets but I did buy a few more threads and a chart which came to £10.21. Now as you can imagine I will have many NSD's before payday :rotfl:

So budget next 'month' needs to be sorted but at present outgoings for March is £456.50 which includes saves but excludes groceries. To play catch up I want to save another £200, heres hoping.

Have a great weekend all