I’m in London Wednesday to Friday this week. Thursday’s fully booked during office hours but otherwise parental unit and I are free. I mean my mum – dad’s filming in Bristol, replete with masses of Sunday roast leftovers destined for some apocalyptic fry-up. He took them in a Pyrex bowl, it feels a bit like he’s the student.
Our natural stomping ground is always Soho, Covent Garden, Charing Cross way (food, shops, books) – we used to stay in Piccadilly but this time, for various reasons, it’ll be the City. This is our second visit – until the first, I don’t think I’d ever set foot in the place before. I’m wondering about the bits of London I don’t know so well, and which to explore this time.
I/we already know Southwark, Spitalfields/Aldgate/Aldgate East/Petticoat Lane/Middlesex Street/Liverpool Street way, Shepherd’s Bush, Notting Hill Gate, Camden, Haringey, Hampstead, Mayfair, Marylebone, Waterloo, Kensington, Camden and Maida Vale/Warwick Avenue/Little Venice way reasonably well. And no, that list wasn’t in any kind of geographical order, thank god, it was by emotional association – Shepherd’s Bush is my friends Lucy and Jenny, and the Oxford Tube. Haringey is at least five Oxford friends. Charing Cross is Rhian, Kensington’s a recent addition, the South Bank is school trips, Maida Vale’s my uncle and Hampstead is my mother. Camden is the summit of ALL my EARTHLY AMBITION when I was about sixteen.Waterloo is the Old Vic first night party where Jack and I almost disgraced ourselves (Jack really wanted to run up behind John Suchet and shout BONG, possibly my clearest memory of the evening).
I don’t know where else to go. I welcome suggestions! Help me, lazywebs, you’re my only hope (&c).
CLAMOROUS VOICE 
Hm. Try the South? I wouldn’t advise going as far as Croydon lest you be engaged in some weird local history project, but Brixton is an awesome area (with The Ritzy – the best cinema in the World); if you go down Acre Lane you’ll end up in Clapham, which is good for food / pubs / giant, scenic commons; the South East is grubby, but Deptford is home to the Albany theatre and about a very nice forty minute walk through Blackheath / Greenwich, which is where the observatory is. The area around the uni is also really nice, though stay away from the Chinese restaurant on the corner. If you go you’ll know what I mean. And go through the Greenwich tunnel.
In Hampstead, did you go to Parliament Hill? Ken Wood? The giant dilapidated house? The Zoo?
East – Hoxton and Old Street. It’s a shame you can’t / won’t cycle, because there’s a great route that goes all the way from Finsbury Park to Hoxton Square. I’ve spent a lot of time at Mouth That Roars on Charlotte Street and seen some pretty decent shows at Cargo on Rivington Street.
Are you gaying at all? Not so much fun by yourself, but you could check out Gingerbeer for stuff that coincides with your visit…
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