how should I occupy myself for two weeks in the UK?

[dbskyler]

I'm struggling with RL a little bit right now, so I am turning to more fun things to think about. And what could be more fun to think about than my upcoming trip to London to see David Tennant and Catherine Tate in Much Ado About Nothing?

I'm thinking that I'll spend around two weeks in the UK total. Obviously a few days of that will be London. This may also be the trip where I finally make it to Penzance! And yes, I freely admit that 95% of my desire to go to Penzance is the G&S operetta, but I've heard that Cornwall is nice to visit, too. Besides, on my last trip I took a photo of the "Ealing" sign when we passed through the station on the train, and the person I was traveling with asked me what I was photographing, and I had to lie and say I saw something out the window. But of course, it was really about documenting that I had been through Ealing, setting of Sarah Jane Adventures! Maybe I should try for South Croydon this time? ; )

So, flist! I'm in the market for suggestions. Where else should I go? What should I do? What should I not miss? I will be there in early July, in case that makes a difference for your suggestions.

Comments

[clocketpatch]

There's a TARDIS at Earl's Court that I never saw... but it's there, apparently. So get your photo with it. (Unless you knew that already).

Could you go to Wales? Heh. You could stalk the DW filming crew around Cardiff.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I've heard about the Earl's Court TARDIS, but I've never seen it! Yes, I should try to find it!

DW stalking . . . tempting, but I'd have to stalk carefully because I don't want spoilers. ; )

[cavgirl.livejournal.com]

Caffe Vergnano. There's a branch on the Charing Cross Road and also on the South Bank. Their hot chocolate is out of this world, and even their normal coffee has coffee-snobs raving. Hmmmm....

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Oh yay, hot chocolate recommendation! That's definitely going onto the list!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Well, you *could* come down to Oxford - admittedly the city's rather more interesting than I am! It's full of museums and colleges, and got some pretty parks. A whole bunch of things have been filmed in Oxford, including Inspector Morse, Lewis, bits of Harry Potter, and Brideshead Revisited. The Ashmolean Museum's recently been refurbished and redesigned and is, apparently, outstanding (I've yet to find time for a visit - it's one of those musuems that you can't do all in one go!); the Pitt Rivers is also fascinatingly good. If you prefer the outdoors, there's the Botanical Garden - admittedly not as extensive as the one out at Kew (London), but still! And there's the famous Bodleian Library where people like Lewis, Tolkien, Pullman, Blake, etc have worked.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I've never been to Oxford. Maybe it's time!

And actually, I've never been to Kew Gardens either. I should do that when I'm in London.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Well there you go - two suggestions for the price of one!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

:D

[cavgirl.livejournal.com]

Pitt Rivers, yes. Lots and LOTS of foetuses, from what I remember. And weapons. Talk about eclectic mixtures of items... Also there's a good cast gallery in Oxford, and go to the covered market - I've never had better oatmeal/raisin cookies anywhere else, even in America. That assuming the stall is still there! Kew is pretty fab too - don't forget the palace, which is TINY. The National Archives are there too.

Hampton Court?

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I've been to Hampton Court, but again, it was awhile ago.

That's the trouble with traveling -- there are so many places to go to, and so little time to go to them! And then you forget places, so you have to go back!

Why can't I have unlimited time and money, and get to travel all the time?

Or if I can't have unlimited time and money, I'll take a TARDIS instead.

[cavgirl.livejournal.com]

And the TARDIS could bring you back in time too. I wish it could do that to the execs of 'The Tudors'. Their lack of accurate costuming sets my teeth on edge.

I s'pose you'll just need to decide what matters most to you! There's no point in racing round like a maniac and not actually taking anything in, if that makes sense!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

And the TARDIS could bring you back in time too.

Exactly! No time? No problem! I can be home again by tomorrow morning! As for money, most of that goes towards plane fare, train fare and accommodations, and none of that is needed with the TARDIS. It's the best way to travel!

[cavgirl.livejournal.com]

Go to Edinburgh and test out the police boxes there. You never know, one might actually WORK...

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Or who knows, maybe that Doctor Who Experience is really a Doctor Who experience!!!!

I wonder how many people randomly walk into old police boxes just to check?

[derekmetaltron.livejournal.com]

Well evidently there's that new Doctor Who Experience thingie opening in London so you could always try that... I hear it has THREE TARDIS control rooms in it (Five's, Nine/Ten's and Eleven's. Impressive)! Plus there's the new footage with Matt Smith and the like.

Terms of where I reside there's Nottinghamshire - they've stupidly closed the Tales of Robin Hood exhibit some years back but there's still the Castle, Ye Old Trip to Jeruseulem (oldest drinking place still standing in England), and many an old house and abbey if you like that sort of thing.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Hopefully the Doctor Who Experience will still be going on by the time I get there. It does look like it's worth a visit. I'd especially love a close-up view of Eleven's TARDIS. : )

Thanks for the Nottinghamshire suggestion -- I'll look into it!

[thisbluespirit]

Well, I am sorry to hear tha rl is not being great. :-(

Thinking about your trip sounds like a nice idea, though. And Cornwall is very lovely, and July - if the weather's good - would be a great time to go. I have never quite made it over the border from Devon for some reason, though! (Probably 'cos Devon is also lovely). Land's End, the Eden Project, Tintagel, Clovelly, lots of picturesque fishing villages, pixies, old tin mines, that sort of thing. :-) (You could stop off in my proper home county of Somerset and visit Wookey Hole, where they filmed Revenge of the Cybermen, too.) ♥ the West Country.

And Wales: Wales is amazing and gorgeous, but Cornwall is probably more accessible if you want to go to other places as well (but West Glamorgan, Breconshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, all of mid-West Wales is my favourite place on earth.) But that is probably unrealistic if you're travelling elsewhere - nowhere in Wales is exactly easy to get by, and if you go by train, you usually have to go back out of Wales to get back to the other bit you wanted to get to - it's not convenient.

Mind you, not that London couldn't keep a person occupied for all that time, anyway. (Did you see the Imperial War Museum while you were there last time? Despite the off-putting name, it is one of the most impressive London museums, which is saying something.)

There are loads of great places in the NE, too, but again, like Wales, that implies more travelling than you may wish. (Although not as bad as Wales, and the GNER or whatever it is now is probably our fastest trainline and you can get from King's Cross to York in two and a half hours, which isn't bad. And York is very pretty. I have given my heart to Durham and Newcastle instead, but there's no denying York is one of the oldest and most attractive cities in the country.)

But there's almost nowhere there isn't something interesting to see, so I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time - and I hear there's this great show on in London, too... :-D

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I didn't make it to Aberystywth last time despite your glowing recommendation, so I am perusing the map to see if I can make it over there on this trip. I did absolutely love Wales despite not getting to West Wales.

I haven't been to the Imperial War Museum, and that is on my "definitely" list this time! I also want to make it back to the British Museum, since it's been awhile.

I've been to York a few times, so I probably won't go back this trip. I agree, though, it's an amazing place.

I'm pretty excited about having a ticket to a great show in London. :D

[thisbluespirit]

Oh... I had a feeling I had gone on about Aber. It is lovely, but it's a long way to go - it is one of the most inconvenient places to get to in the country. But anywhere in Mid or West Wales I love. Cornwall isn't dissimilar in terms of scenery, or Devon.

I'm sure you'll have a great time wherever you go - just getting about, seeing somewhere new is part of the fun, isn't it?

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

just getting about, seeing somewhere new is part of the fun, isn't it?

Very true! I might leave some time completely free so I can go for a wander to wherever the mood strikes me at the moment, booking lodging along the way.

I'd definitely like to see Aber someday, but maybe not this time. We'll see! I did make it to Snowdonia on my last trip, but I was still pretty firmly in North Wales.

[thisbluespirit]

Funnily enough, I've never made it to North Wales.... :-)

[aralias.livejournal.com]

i was going to say doctor who experience too. should never have let other people be in charge of booking that, since i still do not have tickets *grumble grumble* but it sounds AWESOME.

given that someone else said oxford, i feel i should say cambridge, which is one of the most wonderful cities i've ever been too. and is also a very doctor who-y type place.

the globe is fantastic and also very cheap. and centrally located. and near to the tate modern if you like that sort of thing. i must own, i do not much, but then i'm not really a museum person. however, i am partial to the v&a, which is a bit further out in south kensington - also the home of the science museum - both have lots of interactive thingys to play with if you are of that sort of fickle mind, like i am.

croydon is not very exciting at all - although there are trams, which is pretty cool, and a very large ikea... which to my shame, i must also add is pretty cool. i like to think the people of ealing know that sj lives there. if they don't they should.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I've been to Cambridge, but it was ages and ages ago. I still remember it fondly, though! So yes, maybe a re-visit is in order.

I tried to see a show at the Globe last time and failed, so I promised myself I would go on my next trip. Unfortunately, they're not showing anything I particularly want to see while I'll be there. But I may go for Doctor Faustus even though I tend to avoid tragedies.

I've been to the Tate Modern and the Science Museum. I'm embarrassed to admit that I can't recall if I've been to the V&A or not. Maybe that means I need to go (again)?

croydon is not very exciting at all

Yeah, I wouldn't expect it to be. It was fun getting the shot of the Ealing sign last time, though, and it would be great to get a "Croydon" photo to go with it, but I'm not planning on going out of my way for it.

Good luck with the Doctor Who Experience -- hope you get the arrangements figured out soon.

[pitry.livejournal.com]

*hugs abput RL* well, planning how to have a good time is ALWAYS a good way of making life seem less horrible :)

I would second my Cornwall love from the last time you were wondering about it. If you're up to a bit of walking, there's some short (and longer) walking paths with gorgeous cliff view. Also the town of St. Ives is gorgeous, and there's this small cool island if you go from Penzance towards Marazion which has a castle on it and when the sea is low you can walk all the way there. And there's this gorgeous observatory/plant and animal life thingie in Cornwall too. And I might just be reliving my Cornwall trip from last year now :D

(Also, if you're going to be in theUK for two weeks, is that going to be the two before or the two after the play (or in between?))

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

*hugs back* Yes, there's nothing like planning a really fun trip to remind you of the good things in life.

Nice Cornwall suggestions -- thanks! As long as I'm out there, I think I'll definitely have to swing by St. Ives. And yes, I'm always up for some walking. : )

I'm still figuring out my plans, but most likely I will get to London right at the beginning of July and stay until around the 16th. Do you think we might manage to overlap?

[pitry.livejournal.com]

Well, I've already booked my flight and I'm arriving at London on the evening of the 15th :D :D

[cavgirl.livejournal.com]

Here's another suggestion for you, although I don't know how easy it is to get to: Warwick Castle (boarding school means you get to see all these places without worrying about the practicalities). It's fantastic, and you're going in the summer, right? The views from the battlements are stunning, and the castle itself looks like a castle should be, lol! Also very close to Stratford-Upon-Avon, and I've a feeling it's not too far from the Black Country Museum (although I could be inventing that last).

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I don't know, Warwick Castle will have to be pretty impressive to beat Conwy Castle, which I saw last time I was in the UK . . . ; )

I'll add it to the "possibles" list, though -- thanks!

[cavgirl.livejournal.com]

*g* It probably doesn't beat the Welsh castles, or even Alnwick, but it's still pretty impressive. Come to think of it, I think Conwy and Warwick were built around the same time.