Great 'cheap things to do in London' Hunt

Last time we went to london, we did the bbc tour. Cost £10 lasts about 2'30 hours. Must be booked day before. It was really good. Informative, interesting, fun. Also might see someone famous!

You can also get free audience tickets from bbc, audience store, sro etc.

I also love Portobello Market - free, good stores - antiques, clothes, food etc, amazing houses in Notting Hill. A really experience (but gets very busy/crowded)Can walk from one end to the other (tube at either end)

locations of famous films shot in London

http://www.londonforfree.net/outdoors/filmsets/filmsets.shtml

and album covers

http://www.londonforfree.net/outdoors/filmsets/albumcovers.shtml

all for the price of a travelcard

Techno wrote: »

Contact your MP to arrange a tour of the Clock Tower (Big Ben) and Westminster Place (Houses of Parliament) for free plus write to the Tower of London to get on the Ceremony of the Keys tours when they are putting the Tower to bed for the night.

I used to work for Parliament and have been on a million tours- they're BRILLIANT (although, to some extent, depends on the guide!). I always feel quite passionate about this: it's your democratic right to visit parliament! No MP can refuse you a tour (but you need to be flexible on dates!). Use theyworkforyou.com to find out your local MP. Additionally, you can also visit any Select Committee meetings and APPGs. I went to a Treasury Meeting after Northern Rock crashed and it was filled with frayed tempers and insights to the background; very interesting.

Big Ben gets booked up months and months in advance but is worth doing- you get to be right by the bell when it goes off! (with ear plugs!)

Whilst I am anxious about sharing this place with people, one of the cheapest lunches you can get in Notting Hill is just off Portobello Road, Books for Cooks. It's a recipe book store (not just a clever name) but has a test kitchen at the back. Each day (except Sundays) they do one meat recipe and one vegetarian recipe from two different books as well as about 5 or 6 different cake recipes. All AMAZING and two courses is £7! Cheapest lunch in West London, I'd guess.

But please avoid going there!

There is currently a free fake beach on the South Bank complete with beach huts and sand which will be there until September. Also a fairground nearby with helter skelter and carousel, although that may be attached to E4's Udderbelly event which is on until 17 July and has comedy at very reasonable prices.

I'd also vote for the museums, and if people are prepared to go slightly outside central London would suggest the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, the Museum of London Docklands at West India Quay (who currently have a really good exhibition about pirates although you have to pay to get into that bit), and the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

Also, I know it's cliched, but I have just moved to West London and have discovered that the walk through Hyde Park from Hyde Park corner tube through to Bayswater is beautiful- you start off in the Rose Garden and it just keeps getting better.

For beer lovers you *have* to try The White Horse on Parson's Green (district line). Over 180 beers to choose from and the 'standard' ones are actually cheaper than most places in London. They also match their (amazing) food to beer instead of wine which is quite the revelation to a beer-convert like myself!

Also try googling 'free london walks'. the 'city of london' one was fantastic, talking in loads and giving you snippets of info. Also take you to the 'wall of heros' which is in a hidden garden in the city. the wall is covered in plaques for unsung local heros- very touching!