London In The Rain!

Like it or not, London can be a wet place. The weather in England can be glorious but, more often than not, it is more unpredictable than anything. They say that rain has shaped the British though and whilst other countries, with long, hot summers and warm winters are better at sport (rugby, cricket and football mainly), the Brits boast intellectual heroes instead who attained their position through hard work in the library or the lab. They had, the theory goes, focused on pursuits that didn’t require warm weather to succeed.


This though is little comfort to visitors who find themselves drenched in London. But, what can be of comfort are the city’s many indoor attractions. So, depending on where you are, here are some ideas about where you can go when the rain starts to fall.





The South Bank


You're spoiled for choice down here, so it’s a great place to go if the weather is looking a bit unstable. One of the most unusual spots though is the British Film Institute. It’s home to some really interesting material and shows some amazing movies, both classic and modern and it is the perfect place to hide from the wet.


Covent Garden

Again, there are plenty of places to find cover here but one of the most interesting has to be The London Transport Museum. You almost certainly will have been on the tube at some point and most people forget that is has an amazing history so why not find out more about it.


Buckingham Palace


Even if you’re royal the rain can get in the way so why not visit Westminster Abbey which is just nearby to the Palace. You can explore this historic building, see poets corner where peole like Chaucer and Dickens are burried, as well as see the venue where Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married. If it dries up, and it will, you can explore the area properly. Why not try this app guide to the Royal Wedding to give you some idea of where to go!


With any luck your trip to London will be dry but, even if it is, you should still make some time to visit the venues we’ve suggested. As ever you should also try some of our walks which you can find out more about here. And, if you want to make any suggestions, please do so below!

A stroll through Terminal 5

A stroll through the airport
Chaos and anger erupted at London airports last night.
I was at Heathrow where we were surrounded by mobs of very cross travellers.
Staff stood in the middle of the concourse and just told people to ring a very long number if they wanted information. Most of them did not have mobiles that worked, or their batteries were flat or they could not find a payphone.
Therefore here are a few hints for travellers in Terminal 5:
1. Plug sockets are near the toilets. They can charge the laptop and the mobile. You look like a tramp sitting on the floor but it is better than standing in a queue.

2. Go to any empty desks for information. Queues can be created at random. People think it has a purpose but often it is a crowd causing trouble. Other check-in desks welcome a friendly face and have the same information.

3. Use your looks and charm. I do not claim to have either of them but they work wonders on a hassled member of staff. Bad jokes are not welcome but always stroke egos and mop brows. Do you remember the hell of complaining customers?

4. Don’t get cross. You look an asshole to all other travellers and staff avoid you.

5. Grab a seat in a coffee shop. They can be gold-dust and buy you new friends.

I will bring you more hints next week.

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