Crap London

['bout now]

I'm married to a foreigner, so we get lots of visitors coming over and asking what to do and where to go. I like to specialise in telling them what NOT to do. What bits of London do you find especially crap?

My best places to avoid are Borough Market on a Saturday and Piccadilly Circus on any day of the week.

[BrandNewGuy]

Madame Tussaud's. Pointless.

['bout now]

M&M world WTF?

[womanofdulwich]

Covent garden, Oxford street.

[DulwichFox]

Avoid North Cross Rd. Saturday.

Use Whateley and have a chat with the guy with the white Cockatoo.

Foxy

[Alan Medic]

I went on the Eye some months ago. Felt like a waste of time.

[lavender27]

Hamleys toy store, Saturdays and the run up to ooops "Christmas", there I've said the C word. (but hey we all know that)

[red devil]

Anything and anywhere that is full of tourists, which virtually rules out most of central London. Might be easier to list the hidden gems worth visiting, like our very own Picture Gallery or Eltham Palace...

[Angelina]

if you're making recommendations to tourists, they would probably love all the places that residents don't bother with. M&M World being an example. It's incredibly popular. But pointless in any other respect than making money. And SO expensive.

A good tip for any tourist are the Red Hats who work around the main central tubes. They are a wealth of information and it's their job to help anyone with anything.

They wear black bowler hats and can give you ANY imfo!

[JohnL]

Yeah, as a child I still liked the Crown Jewels, the tower Richard III locked the children in (scary), Tower Bridge (Is that top part now open), Westminster Abbey - but now plot a visit to somewhere base on the best pub around :)

[EDOldie]

Am I the only on to think that the 'Pavilion' at Dulwich Picture Gallery is deeply uninspiring?

[Loz]

Angelina Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A good tip for any tourist are the Red Hats who work around the main central tubes. They are a

> wealth of information and it's their job to help anyone with anything.

>

> They wear black bowler hats and can give you ANY imfo!

Why are they called Red Hats if they wear black bowler hats?

[Angelina]

no idea whatsoever. There's probably a reason. Can't find a link to send.

I spoke to one outside Victoria recently, but they are in Oxford Circus etc..

[Sue]

EDOldie Wrote:

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> Am I the only on to think that the 'Pavilion' at

> Dulwich Picture Gallery is deeply uninspiring?

I like it!

[JohnL]

It's the Welcome People

http://www.thewelcomepeople.com/

[Loz]

JohnL Wrote:

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> It's the Welcome People

>

> http://www.thewelcomepeople.com/

That photo looks like a really bad British remake of Reservoir Dogs.

[dbboy]

Send them to Hampton Court

[siousxiesue]

Oxford St is deeply uninspiring. Madame T is prohibitively expensive but still you get queues!

There are so many places to see, I like in particular to recommend Postman's Park behind St Pauls, and the wellcome Collection. Also nearby is St Pancras Crypt Gallery.

Tate Tanks are always worth a look.

[malumbu]

Outer London Boroughs, certainly to the East, South East and Croydon

Vauxhall Cross, nine Elms, in particular around the American Embassy

Shopping centrea (mew and old) and the other new retail/residential developments eg Elephant or Stratford

The North Circular

Brent, including Wembley

The A4

[GSJ57]

I love Postman's Park! So peaceful, but the plaques are so sad....

[Robert Poste's Child]

On the crap side (= places you don't go unless you've got visitors):

Harrods

Covent Garden

Selfridges

Leicester Square, including the big cinemas

Everything on the South Bank that's not inside a building

West End theatres

Borough Market any time

Buckingham Palace

Favourite places I would definitely include:

NFT

Theatres - National, Royal Court, Donmar, Almeida, Wilton's

Clipper from Greenwich to London Bridge at sunset

Platforms at Blackfriars for the view up and down river

Charterhouse museum and general wander about Clerkenwell and the City

Lewis chessmen at the BM

Leighton House

Cast hall at V&A

Walk around the inns of court

Old Cheshire Cheese

Foundling museum

Reading room at the Wellcome Trust

Royal Hospital Chelsea

St James's Palace

[NewWave]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> EDOldie Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Am I the only on to think that the 'Pavilion'

> at

> > Dulwich Picture Gallery is deeply uninspiring?

>

> I like it!

I agree-the 'pavillion' is a real let down.

we got tickets for a friday late and were terribly underwhelmed.

wouldn't bother to go again

[NewWave]

P.S

I wouldn't advise tourists to bother with Liberty department store.

I find the staff pounce on you too much-nice building but ruined by overpriced tat inside

[ratty]

The whole of Woolwich

[edcam]

Couldn't disagree more re the negative comments about Liberty and most especially Borough Market. That place needs as much support as possible at the moment, as numbers are down since the attack.