Many visitors to London want to see at least one show.   For something quite  unique, I recommend The Railway Children.  Edith Nesbit’s 1906 story describes the experiences of  upper class children who are forced to leave their London town house for the mixed pleasures of living in impoverished style near a rural railway station in the north of England. It brims with nostalgia, a reminder of what England must have been like, surely, before any of were born.

Waterloo Station, where once trains regularly departed for Paris and Brussels, is the theatre. There are two stage stars.  One is the popular English comedian, Marcus Brigstocke, who plays the awkward station master, Mr Perks.  A 60 tonne steam locomotive, Stirling Single is the other.  Built in 1870 it shuttles and whistles, and blows out steam, creating a strange, smoky atmosphere.

We watch how the children adapt to their new circumstances by befriending the station master, and various passengers.  Through these new connections, the children manage to rescue their father  who’s been wrongly imprisoned as a spy, and also gain an unforgettable experience and new way of looking at the world.

This production closes on 8 January.  Quite unforgettable.

Too close for comfort...

Whenever I guide coach panoramics of London, visitors don’t seem to notice the Gherkin so much. Now they always ask about the Shard.  They don’t actually say, “What’s that ugly construction looming up in the middle of London?” but it’s easy to infer their sentiments.

When I first saw Renzo Piano’s visualisation, I was enchanted. It looked beautiful, The Shard of Glass, a fairy-tale building, where princesses might sit behind the window panes, brushing their golden locks. The reality, as I arrive by train on to the platform of London Bridge Station is different. It intrudes on my view, and as I look up, it just looks tacky.

I like the fact that it’s going to be tall, the tallest building in Europe, at 1017 ft, or 310 metres. I’m definitely quite excited at joining the two million visitors who are expected to rise up to its viewing platform when finished. Just can’t get enough of high views over London. But I’m just going to have to suspend judgement on its artistic merits for the time being.

The fairy tale image.

When visitors to London plan day trips, they usually think Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon. They often overlook Salisbury Cathedral. This is a great pity, as it’s a most atmospheric church.

Built in 1258, it’s a great example of early English Gothic architecture. Those master masons, inspired by their faith, only took 38 years to build it.

Whichever angle you view it from, you’re looking at the same building style. Contrast that with the schizophrenic appearance of Westminster Abbey – with two distinct personalities, having been fiddled with several times since its 13^th century beginnings.

Salisbury Cathedral also has the tallest spire in the country (404 ft/123m).

In the Chapter House, you’ll find the best preserved copy of the original Magna Carta document.

The cathedral is surrounded by houses, and a stone wall, the gates of which are locked up at night.

The original houses were built for the senior clergy. Since then, several have been rebuilt, and only a few are occupied by the clergy. Others are owned by private residents, or have been converted into museums and other institutions.

Salisbury Cathedral can’t produce tombs of kings and queens, but has several mediaeval tombs of nobility, from the grotesque, adorned by skeletal images of the dead, to the ornate tombs of illustrious mediaeval characters.

There is a charge – a voluntary donation of £5.50 for adults.  It’s an atmospheric church – many of my clients say it knocks spots off other English cathedrals and important churches – including Westminster Abbey.

Your experience will be much more enhanced by taking a guided tour.

A great day tour is to visit both Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral (they’re about 10 miles apart). In my guiding capacity, I take clients by train from London to Salisbury (about 1.5 hours). Then we hire a taxi to drive us to Stonehenge for a guided tour of these mysterious stones. Then we return to Salisbury Cathedral for a guided tour of this amazing church. An astonishingly good day trip out of London!

Free internet access in London

I’ve just discovered an amazing free internet resource, right slap bang in the centre of London. It’s just so useful for tourists to London.

The TalkTalk Customer Experience Centre offers you a large cool space, decked out with rows of computers. You can call in there to check your emails. Or double-check on your travel arrangements. Or double-check on the name of the restaurant you planned to visit, but somehow can’t remember.

It’s right in the heart of Soho, central London. Tube stations Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus are just 10 minutes’ walk away.

You can just walk in, from 10am – 7pm, Monday – Saturday.

There are useful facilities for resident Londoners, too. If you’re a TalkTalk customer, that is. You can go to the first floor lounge, and use free wi-fi facilities, lounge around on the sofas reading free magazines and newspapers, grab yourself a free cup of tea or coffee. You do need to book, though. Call 0800 9555 111.

This is, of course, not the only place to access the internet in London. But it has 2 distinct advantages. It’s free. And as it’s relatively new (opened in April 2010), not that many people know about it (yet) and it doesn’t get too crowded.

Here’s the address:
20-24 Broadwick Street
London
W1F 8HT

My last post was about taking a family from London to Bath by train. Normally, that can be an expensive day.  If you took the 10.30 train today from London Paddington to Bath it would cost £48.80 return per adult, £24.40 per child.

There is a way to cut your costs substantially. Buy a Family & Friends Railcard for £26. This gives you 30% discount on adult fares and 60% discount on child fares.

The discounts apply to groups of up to 4 adults and 4 children (not necessarily related. But you must have a child! At least one adult and one child must travel.

You are eligible for these discounts at off-peak times and at weekends. What is an off-peak time? This does, unfortunately, vary between different rail companies, but is usually after 10 am.

This Family & Friends Railcard lasts for one year, and is clearly designed for resident families. In fact, there are online promotions offering up to 20% discount on the actual card.

But for visitors to this country, it can still bring you huge savings. Here’s an example.

If 5 adults + 2 children take a day trip to Bath, leaving on the 10.30 train (off peak), the usual cost is £292.80.

Using the Family & Friends railcard it will come to £206.20. Even if you add the cost of the Railcard for one day, it will total £232.20 – still saving you £60!

Slash your rail ticket prices!

This Family & Friends Railcard only applies to overland rail journeys (not on the underground/tube system). If you are already in the UK you can apply online. If you’re not yet here, just turn up at any overland rail station with an staffed ticket desk and buy it then and there.

For possible further savings, it’s worth turning up at the ticket desk to buy your tickets. Sometimes, if you’re quite a large family group, the ticket staff will be able to apply a group discount on top! It’s always worth asking for the cheapest rates possible.

For further information or to buy your card online: http://www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk

Happy travelling!

Roman Baths

If you’re spending a few days in London, chances are you’ll be tempt by a day trip to the beautiful city of Bath with its ancient Roman baths and spectacular Georgian architecture. Can you afford to give it a whole day? Or will you be enticed into taking a coach tour which offers Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath – in one day?

If you’ve only got one day to spare to see the rest of the country, and you badly want to see the Castle, the Stones and the Baths, then a coach tour might be your best option.

But prepare for a very long day. In some cases you’ll be picked up from your hotel at 7am, and then dropped off somewhere in central London at around 8.30pm. Your allocated time in Bath will be around 1.5 hours, and often much shorter. Your precious time will be eaten away as you wait for the whole group to get off and on the coach, queueing up for entry in the Roman Baths, and getting back to the coach before the allotted time, in fear of the coach leaving without you. If you’re very lucky you might be driven around for 5 minutes to see some of the famous buildings of Bath, but the likelihood is that you won’t see further than a ¼ mile circumference from the coach drop-off point. Then you face a 3 hour coach journey back to London.

If you have the luxury of a whole day to devote to Bath, and have a bit more money to spare, then you’ll really be able to appreciate what Bath is all about.

Last week I took a family of six to Bath for the day. We went by train, leaving London Paddington at 10.30 and arriving in Bath at 12.00

This is what we did and saw:

• Royal Crescent – the famous crescent-shaped Grade I listed row of houses. A masterpiece of Georgian architecture.
• Visited the elegantly restored No. 1 Royal Crescent,
• Walked around The Circus, bedecked with classical columns, acorns and Masonic symbols.
• Stopped for lunch at a restaurant called The Circus
• Visited the Assembly Rooms and the Fashion Museum.
• Visited the Jane Austen Centre.
• Visited the Roman Baths
• Visited Bath Abbey.

We took the 18.13 train from Bath, arriving at 19.38 at Paddington.

Find time to join The Circus

If the family had chosen to go on a Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath trip, they would have seen Windsor (briefly) and Stonehenge (briefly) too. Including lunch, it would have set them back around £500.

They chose instead to concentrate on Bath. Their costs for everything – train fares, entries, lunch, as well as my personal guiding fees set them back around £800. But what a different day we all had!

You’re in London. You’ve got so much sightseeing to do; no time to sit down for lunch. I know! Let’s pick up a sandwich! But where?

Truly sublime sandwiches exist. But who’s going to cross town for one? So here are 3 reliable sources for high quality sandwiches.

Pret a Manger

You won't go wrong with a Pret

There are 225 branches of this sandwich chain in large cities across the country – although most are in London. They’re now generally known as ‘Prets’. You can buy a wide range of sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, hot and cold drinks, etc.

They pride themselves on their approach to sandwich-making. They make all the sandwiches on site in the mornings. They use fresh, natural ingredients and avoid unnecessary chemicals and preservatives – and you can tell by the taste. Pret gives left-over sandwiches to the homeless.

The sandwich fillings are inspired. Such as The New Yorker Bloomer (Salt Beef, gherkins, mustard mayo and leaf spinach in 7-Grain Bloomer Bread), or the vegetarian Avocado & Herb Salad Wrap (Avocado, cucumber, tomato, basil, yoghurt dressing, spinach, pine nuts, Italian matured cheese in a tortilla wrap). Everything is packed well.

Service is exemplary. You’ll never have to wonder why you’re wasting your life in a queue. The staff are always very friendly and efficient.

In 2001, some customers were disturbed to discover that McDonald’s had bought a large stake in the company. They had no reason to worry; nothing changed, and in any case, McDonald’s have since sold it on.

EAT

A great choice for sandwiches

Another smaller (100 branches) sandwich chain comparable to Pret. They offer a similar range of high quality sandwiches, soups and drinks, and of comparable quality.

Good choices  include Crayfish, Lemon and rocket sandwich, or Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.

Service is generally OK, although not as reliably efficient and friendly as at Pret. Coffees are comparable – in both EAT and Pret they’re acceptable, but not exactly great.

M&S

M&S sandwiches - good quality - and everywhere

Most supermarkets sell sandwiches, but the best ones come from M&S (aka Marks & Spencer). What’s more, if you’re sightseeing anywhere in Britain, you won’t be too far from a handy branch. They offer a wide range of great ‘sarnies’, mostly priced between £1.40 and £3.00.

A word of warning here, though. You might notice some sandwiches enticingly priced at £1. Yes, one English pound! Very tempting indeed. But really, I don’t recommend them. Unless you last visited this country in 1961 and you want to recreate the experience for nostalgic reasons.

The classic sandwich may be an English invention, but only in the last 20 or so years have they been something we could be proud of. If you’d ordered a sandwich in the 1960s, you would get a couple of slices of pappy bread, sticking together some bland, plasticky filling.

OK, you don’t believe me? Well spend your pound, and find out.

Only if you're one sandwich short of a picnic...

However, it’s now confession time. I do buy those £1 sandwiches. As a form of self-punishment. I live in London. I shouldn’t have to buy a sandwich. It takes all of 5 minutes to put together something delicious, but somehow I never find that 5 minutes.

Not quite a sandwich?

Some visitors may find themselves tempted by a Subway. This is a large American franchise offering “submarines” or “subs”. They advertise the freshness of their ingredients. I suspect the American branches may be quite good. But the ones in this country certainly are not. The subs may be fresh, but they lack flavour, the bread is poorly textured; they’re just not nice at all.

A much better alternative is Upper Crust. You’ll find branches at airports and major stations. They offer crusty, filled French-style baguettes. These are unfailingly delicious, although rather pricey (most cost over £3) but worth it.

Is it the man....?

Can an old  fat man with long grey hair and beard, a self-aggrandising sot, a lech, a coward,who farts without shame ever be thought sexy? Would you believe it? There he was, starring in Henry IV Pt I at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Falstaff always carries the play. We enjoy watching young Hal trying to find himself, his father Henry IV worrying about how son Hal will ever grow up enough to become King, interspersed with a few battle scenes. But it’s always Falstaff who has the best lines and gets the laughs.

The play itself was a huge improvement on the earlier plays of the season: (the disastrous Henry VIII and lacklustre Macbeth). With Shakespeare, it’s really all about emotion. No matter how difficult the play may be to understand, a great emotional performance will engage the audience.

But from my seat in the Upper Gallery (a first for me), I found myself strangely discomfited each time Falstaff (played by Roger Allam) came on stage. His rich deep voice, and compelling stage presence accounted for some of it, but the ‘emotions’ I was experiencing were of the baser kind.

Feeling awkward and embarrassed, I said little as I climbed down the steps to ground level atthe end of the show. But then I heard the voices. All women. “Of course, you’d never really like

... or his Part?

him in real life…”. “Actually, I thought he was rather attractive…”  Falstaff, Falstaff. That’s what I heard from the women as they left the Globe. Feminine murmurs and growls of appreciation.

So it wasn’t just me!  I’m not a neo-nymph! But was it Falstaff or the actor Roger Allam who spun the magic? Well, Roger may be semi-eye candy, and clearly was fairly upholstered for the part. But then we all know that size doesn’t matter.

Come on, I’d better give the guy a break, and talk about seating. Upper Gallery? Yes, you still get great views, and won’t get drenched or suffer heatstroke. If it’s comfort you want, rent a cushion and head for the upper seats.  But girls, if you want to activate your pheromones,  pay a fiver and get yourself down and dirty to the ground level.

And what’s more, he’s coming back for Henry IV Part II. I can’t wait. Can you?

"From Hell"
 

I’m starting to worry about this year’s Shakespeare’s Globe productions. After registering the damp squib of Henry VIII , I thought Macbeth must surely redeem the season. After all, I’d seen director Lucy Bailey’s bloody, vicious Titus Andronicus in 2006, and was prepared to be horrified.

It’s always worth aiming for the midnight performances at the Globe. They only put on about three per season, but the audience turns up full of beer and cheer and ready to relish all the extremes that the Globe can thrust upon them. A ready-made atmosphere.

Macbeth at midnight offered promise. Those who paid a (still unbelievably good value) fiver for a standing ticket, the “groundlings”, were encouraged to stand under a black floating canopy littered with holes for our heads. So we could watch the show ‘from Hell’, just keeping our heads above the abyss. A dark, smoky, oppressive atmosphere abounded.

The witches tormented the audience from the bowels of hell (well, from under the canopy), muscle-bound, tattooed, cackling and suitably unsettling. We saw blooded bodies emerging from the Underworld.

Then came the action – the power struggle, the murders, the guilt, the fear – they came and they went, strangely unmoving.

By the time my favourite bewitching scene arrived, “Double, double, toil and trouble: Fire burn and cauldron bubble,” I’d left Hell, and retired to the comfort of my ‘reserve’ seat, surrounded by many others who’d succumbed to the attractions of their dreams.

I’d hoped for an evening of agony and anguish. Lady Macbeth was effective, Banquo’s death was affecting, but somehow the whole production left my cauldron cold and quite unstirred.

Enron. Enron. Enron. I kept hearing the name on the news. I was aware that a scandal of titanic proportions had blown up in the States, and some people were in an awful lot of trouble.

In truth, I paid very little attention. It didn’t really feature on my radar of compelling stories. Yeah, I know it should have done. But Mr Should went AWOL that decade.

It took a play written by an English girl young enough to be my daughter to put me right. Just 29 years old, Lucy Prebble managed to create such a captivating drama, and I’ve hardly been able to think of anything else since seeing it.

By turning it into a human drama, with music, song and fantastic performances, she made me really understand what went wrong and why.

The play used great little devices to demonstrate business machinations. Flashing lit-up numbers, to show how debt can be disguised, a pesky little child asking why, why, why, to show how truth can be obfuscated. Best of all, I liked the way they portrayed the Lehman Brothers as a pair of weird Siamese twins in spectacles!

Drama all the way, comedy and tragedy combined. Now, I just feel sorry for those poor people in New York. Astonishingly, the play lasted just over a week in New York. Why? I heard the all-powerful critics slammed it, but why? Was it because the writer was young-enough-to-be-their-daughter too? And English to boot? Or did they think the tragedy was too serious to laugh at? Just tell me, why?

Whatever, anyone in the States who wants to see a fantastic piece of entertainment had better hotfoot it over to London, right away.

It’s playing at the Noel Coward Theatre, in St Martin’s Lane.