We used to frequently pop up to London before the pandemic and always booked a table for afternoon tea. You tend to do this when you hit 60+ with plenty of time on your hands. We always went to one of the good ones such as Fortnum & Masons, The Ritz, The Savoy, The Savage Garden, Oxo Tower, The Royal Lancaster and the Goring.
The Ritz was really the best with the Savage Garden also surprising good in a more relaxed way.
The shops in London are good, the theatres are good, as are the restaurants. We really miss our day trips up town.
Yesterday we decided to call in at a good hotel in the Cotswolds and what a disappointment. The basics where the same, sandwiches, scones and cakes but some how it just lacked the style and ambiance of the London places.
No doubt about it, a man who tires of London is tired of life.
I love living in London (fortunate to live in a nice part).
It’s the best city in the world.
I’d hate to live in central London but I love to visit.
I’m about 40 mins on the rattler so a nice compromise.
A nice place to visit but...
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I've been once 25 years ago (3-day interview), I got the job but turned it down (for a 50% pay cut in Scotland) - took an immediate dislike to the place. Sure I saw you Mick on that Savoy documentary?
Last edited by jukeboxs; 28th July 2021 at 18:21.
I loved my seven years in London. 1994-2002, they went by in a flash. I used to walk round the West End every Saturday. I haven't been for a while now, I must go back and do that again.
The Covent Garden Hotel is a nice place for afternoon tea.
I live about an hour away from London and that’s close enough for me. I have no interest in the place and am more than happy that those who love it have no interest in living where I do.
I lived and worked
in London for forty years. It’s all about money. That’s it. Live in, say, Primrose Hill. Delightful. If you are a millionaire. Being poor in London means bad everything…….don’t romanticise what simply isn’t true. It’s a grim, tough, city. No pity. ‘Best city in the world’ ….dream on.
Start with the cost of renting a flat.
Last edited by paskinner; 28th July 2021 at 18:41.
I enjoyed working in London for about 15 years, but the thought of living there, rather than commuting didn’t appeal. Probably looking at the grim looking places that my train from Waterloo passed through on my way back to Hampshire put me off.
Still go back to the West End for regular social occasions (or rather did pre pandemic), but live there - no thanks.
While I have enjoyed living in a nice part of London for a number of years I will be moving out eventually possibly to the Cotswolds although will commute back 2 or 3 days a week for work.
There are no rose tinted specs on me, I know exactly what this city is like, good points and bad. It offers lots for everyone. Yes it costs to live here but that’s the same for any big city. It no more grim than the rough parts of other towns and cities such as Swindon or Bristol. In fact you could argue that the poorer parts of London are nicer than some of the smaller towns in other parts of the country. I would rather live in London than Bradford for example.
It is the best city in the world in my opinion, others seem to agree by number of people that want to live here for one reason or another.
I rented a flat when I was younger, saved up, bought my first flat etc. It’s doable, you just have to have a bit of focus on what you want (like anything in life). I have just turned 41 and I can’t see myself moving anywhere else.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 28th July 2021 at 19:04.
I've got to go there tomorrow, I'm not looking forward to it.
I've lived there and worked there full time, but as it is now? I'll take the middle of nowhere, which is where I'm from.
Been visiting London for some 35 years now, I love the place.
Funny coming from a provincial coastal town of circa. 200,000 folks but big Alpha cities are simply my favourites: NYC, Hong Kong, Kiev, Paris, San Francisco... yup I'll take the hustle and bustle and full-on energy any day rather than looking at cows in a field, thank you.
Claridge's gets my vote for afternoon tea.
Really don't like the place. Always seems a bit 'grubby'.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
So what makes it better than any of the major cities you’ve lived in?
We are here right now - we love to visit the place. Everywhere you look there is fascinating architecture and history.
Mrs. Slamdoor loves living in London and was born here. Personally I’d be happy to never venture within the M25 ever again. I come from Bath - top city!
If you don’t mind me answering…
The convenience of restaurants, pubs, general social environments is a big plus for me. It’s so much more convenient than in other parts of the country. No planing ahead, just go and do it.
Sports clubs likewise. My rugby club is 10 mins up the road, (the team I support and go to watch 30 mins, Twickenham is across the road from the club I support and I go to every England home game)
Transport is great (we moan but it’s great) 35 mins on the tube an I am in the office. I would rather that reading a book, than sit on the motorway or drive in general especially at the hours I work. I almost always get a seat and it’s not crushed (7.30 - 17.00 so not crazy hours)
I love museums, etc. I visit my favourites a few times a year. This is such an underrated part of London.
Both sides of the family are very close (her side decided to move here from another part of the world)
Meeting lots of people from all over the world is fantastic. I have lots of close mates who come from all corners. I might not have met them otherwise.
All in all I love living in town and travelling out for my hobbies (which are country based) than the other way around.
But what Mick is talking about isn't really London, it's the West End - a microcosm of affluence and pretentiousness.
Real London is a city enjoyed by real Londoners, but we're not going to tell you where it is
Last edited by Onelasttime; 28th July 2021 at 19:42.
We've lived in London and several other capital cities. They've all had their pros and cons and London certainly wasn't the best although Great Ormond Street and UCLH made it the right place at the time (although disabled access to public transport is woeful). I preferred living in Budapest, Washington DC and Singapore for differing reasons. E.g. the food in Singapore knocked London into a cocked hat.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Can’t comment on living there as I never have, but as a city to visit, it’s a great place. We love going for a couple of days at a time and the pace of life there. So much to see and do. We’re been up twice this year already (my son is moving up so sorting accommodation etc) and have 3 nights there in August. Can’t wait.
Quote Originally Posted by jaytip View Post
I’m the other side of that coin. If I was told I could never visit London again, it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.
You and me both was in the “ smoke” last WE for a Family do and when SWMBO turned off the M25 onto the A12 on the way home i said if i never went back again so be it.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Enjoy a visit now and again
Breakfast at Richoux, look around Jermyn street, Covent Garden etc
Usually Glad to get home afterwards, just so many people
A long way from the best city in the world IMO…
Vancouver,munich, Innsbruck,Bern?
Best city? I'd rather be in Newcastle anytime, at least they talk to each other and are friendly. Amazing place. 😁
Yep the hawkers in Singapore are amazing! As are the people, the shopping centres, the attractions, Raffles, Marina Bay Sands and the Gardens - in fact all of it ….. even the airport!!
Oh and it feels the safest place I’ve ever been to.
I'm the same. A day trip to London is enough for me. Nice to go and see stuff and have a few beers with friends but happy to leave too. There are loads of cities I'd rather spend more time in.
Saw this today which made me laugh. I’m a northerner, don’t venture down south often - am now wondering what else I’m missing out on!
London is no better or worse than many of the cities I have worked in.
I rate the theatre scene in London particularly but thats mainly as have not been to many productions anywhere else in the world. I do also like the V&A - would love to say the one in Dundee is also good but it just isn't.
As for the rest of London life then its very 'meh' from my experience - plenty of good hotels, bars and restaurants in Europe, Asia and even just occasionally America. Lots of good shopping all over the world and even something called the interweb.
Japan is good fun generally and the cities and country side are something else. I had great fun many times in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Singapore is also a hoot. Oslo is a nice small city, Canada is a very nice big country.
London schmundon. Its ok - been there, done that! OK, i am a bit jaded with cities - so many lemmings all trying to live in the right place and wear the right clothes - all very cliched. I have my own much better cliche these days - semi retirement and a few beers now and again in whatever dress code I feel like in my back garden (when swmbo allows).
I'm glad the OP likes London , but take the blinkers off mate.
Admittedly I was fortunate enough to be paid to travel to (and a couple of times live and work in) these places, amongst others. To some extent was lucky to see these places as both tourist and temp resident - definitely recommended. All places are the same(in some ways good, some bad), all people are the same (some good, some bad) - thats really all life has taught me(it clearly has much yet to teach me about sentence structure).
Worlds of difference between being a tourist and living and working somewhere, anywhere in fact.
Pandemic or no pandemic I very much doubt I’ll ever take my wife up the Oxo tower.
I have had a cup of tea in the Cotswolds and it was nothing to write home about, although I do live in the Cotswolds so a post-it note on the fridge would probably have been sufficient.
But as an exciting tourist visiting place (that’s what we’re talking about, not somewhere to live) I would probably choose New York. No idea what the afternoon teas are like there, but frankly who cares?
I hope that it won’t be too long before you are able to enjoy another trip to London and good afternoon tea.
One of my favourites was St Anne’s church on Kew Green, a bike ride along the Thames path, refreshed for the return journey with a seat on the cemetery wall to watch the cricket, a cuppa with the finest homemade egg and cress sandwiches and lemon drizzle cake made by the ladies of the church.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
A lovely church (the mrs favourite in London) and great cricket ground just across the river from me.
It’s a nice part of the world.
There is no right or wrong to what people look for in a place to live. If people like living in the middle of no where, that’s great. If they like living in the smoke good for them. I know what I prefer having lived in a few places, and I am happy with my choice.
Mick I hope you and your wife get to enjoy a few more day trips to the smoke soon.
A little bit of what you enjoy is good for you. And there is nothing wrong with a good afternoon tea.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 28th July 2021 at 21:35.