what to do in london, when one is w/o his 914 Options

[double-a]

my company is sending me to london for two weeks, and oddly enough refused to pay to have my 914 shipped over there with me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

so what can a guy see while he's there? any 914world.com members in the london/teddington area?

~a

[RON S.]

Ask a cab driver to take you down to Darby Street.
Look for the houses with picture windows in them.
Some of them have flashing red lights in them.Those are the houses ya wanna visit,you'll have lots of fun there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mueba.gif)
Ron

[lapuwali]

Entirely depends on what floats your boat. London is a huge city, with an excellent mass-transit system and loads of touristy stuff. London also has the best cabs and cab drivers on the planet.

If you're looking for random car guy stuff, just wander around. You'll see a lot of cars you've never seen before, things we simply don't get here in the US. Most of the really interesting car stuff there happens out in the countryside, usually in dark little sheds hidden in the bracken. If you can take a day trip during the week, find a big train station, get a map, and try to arrange a trip to the Morgan factory in Malvern. One of the only places left in the world where a car factory still has more human beings than machines.

At the weekend, see if you can find out where a hillclimb is taking place. This is rather like autocross up a (usually gentle) hill, and the cars that show up are often very wild, purpose-built things. Brits take motorsport very seriously.

[maf914]

Brands Hatch is only an hour or so outside London. A friend and I went there twice, once for a WSPC Group C race and once for a club event. Both great days.

Mike

Also in London, if you're into auto books or models, you can go to St. Martins Bookstore on St. Martin's Lane. This is very close to the theater area, Chinatown, a major tube station, and a well known park, but I can't think of the name! It's been too many years since I was there... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[SirAndy]

first, you really don't wanna have your 914 in london, unless you know how to drive on the wrong side of the road and you're not afraid of insane cab-drivers!

- if you're into this (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) start in soho. but be aware, they close early (10:30 i think?) ...

- if you're over 6'1", get a camouflage outfit cause you will stick out like a sore thumb. londonians are SHORT!

- if you manage to get into a pub, try a snakebite!

- don't hit the clubs unless you're heavily into tekkno ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif) )

- don't eat their food!!! the safest is pizza or indian food ...

Andy <-- who has been to london and other english settlements numerous times.

[double-a]

thanks for the replies! if i see any teeners, i'll try to snap a pic. i may have more "work" to do than "fun," but i hope to get out and do the touristy thing. i can't wait to see some of the cool, crazy cars they drive over there.

~a

[fiid]

Here's what I would do. Please apply liberal amount of Google prior to consumption.

1) Buy a Zagat guide and go spend a lot of money on food - London now has some fabulous restaurants, and since you will be on expenses (?) get out there and enjoy it.

2) Museums! There are a great deal of museums in london which cater to all sorts of different tastes - The science museum, Victoria and Albert, National Gallery etc etc. There are also some boutiquey modern art museums like the Saatchi gallery which has oddball modern stuff. The Tate, Tate Modern and the British museum may also be interesting.

3) Tourist crap! Go see the Tower of london, Buckingham palace, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park Corner/Marble Arch, and probably a bunch of other things I forgot.

4) Rent a car. It is possible to rent an elise in the UK - and if you are a major psycho you might be able to rent a radical. If you are a little tighter on the budget, Budget (I think) has the Ford Mondeo ST200 - which is a 200HP car one class up from a focus. They go like stink and are fun to drive. There are racetracks.... Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Castle Coombe - find out whats on when you are there and head out if theres something interesting. You might want to drive to Beaulieu Motor Museum ( http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/ ), or you could try and get on a Lotus Factory tour in Hethel, Norfolk. You could go see Stone Henge, or the underappreciated Avebury stone circles and other random crap during your trip. You could event go see Andy in Bristol! The South West, (Devon and Cornwall) although tourist traps, are very pretty and get the best weather in the country (generally - YMMV).

It's also quite viable to travel by train if you wish.

If you want mondo points with the wife - buy her a ticket to Paris and take the chunnel down to meet her.

Bars generally shut at 11:00 - but there's plenty of nightlife to be had.


CARSPOTTING - Be on the lookout for Lotuses, Aston Martins, Bentleys, Radicals, etc etc.... there are lots of makes and models you won't have seen before, and some of them are quite interesting. Car of the Day for today is the Citroen Xantia Activa - a midsized sedan that never experiences more than .5 degrees of body roll thanks to active suspension. 30% extra traction out of whatever tires you put on it.

I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

[lapuwali]

Is there still a Lotus factory in Hethel? I was under the impression they'd moved all production to Malaysia or somesuch.

I'd also agree (somewhat) on the renting (er, hiring) of a car. My first trip to London dog's years ago was for business, and I got them to give me a few days extra. My very first experience with a RHD car was taking the car (a Sierra, I didn't have much choice) from the car park of the hotel in the City (read, extreme congestion) where I was staying. Very much a case of being thrown into the deep end, and not really the best way to start out. However, it was quite the eye-opener. I took the motorway all the way to Wales and back in an easy day. Average traffic speeds were 90mph or so, and everyone was driving very competently. Nothing like cruising at 85mph and having a family of four in a station wagon (er, estate) sail by at over 100. I few other trips on A and B roads had me clipping hedges and way overdriving this poor car.

Any chance to drive in Europe is very much a worthwhile experience for an American. However, if you can swing it, try to arrange a pickup from somewhere outside the M25 (the ring motorway around London), so you can get some experience with sitting on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road BEFORE you have to deal with London traffic.

Ditto on the Chunnel run. The EuroStar TGV (high-speed train) runs at 250km/h or so on the French side, and can get you from the cab stand at Waterloo Station in London to a cab stand at Gare du Nord in Paris in roughly three hours. Even the plane takes longer than that, and it's not often you get to see the countryside whiz by at that kind of speed.

[krk]

Hm London. Staggering place in many ways. Architecture nuts can have an eyepopping experience.

a) They have different coffee tastes than north america. Very strong. If you're lucky, you can ask for American Style -- tho it does identify you as a tourist!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) We had mixed reviews on the food experience. It seemed to be pretty easy to spend a fair amount on pretty average food. If you spent a *lot*, it was good. I'm guessing that local knowledge would make a huge difference.

c) Take the chunnel. Take the chunnel. Take the chunnel. They are working on moving more high speed track onto the England side (we shared a table with someone working on it during the trip). But bullet trains are just cool. (Yeh, I know it's not as fast as the Shin-Kansen but all bullet trains are cool to ride on!)

d) St. Paul's Cathedral -- mind boggling that such a thing can be built without power tools. (the whispering gallery was really cool)

kim.

[slapshot914]

Absolutely do the tourist thing. Get out of London if you can and ask a local for directions to a pub. Good basic food, but they serve their libations at room temp. Indian food in a local tandori is not to be missed. Also try real English fish and chips at a local fish place.

Driving on the motorways is quite an experience. Returning from a trip to Scotland (they don't speak American there) we were crusing at 95 or so when a AC Cobra passed us like we were standing on the brakes. By the way, I never saw anyone pulled over for speeding on the moterway, only for not staying to the left except when passing. My first driving experience was in a 1958 Bentley. Steering wheel was huge. At least a dozen turns lock to lock. Nerve wracking to say the least. You really had to work at driving those cars.

[fiid]

Uh - last time I drove down from scotland I got pulled over doing 98mph. First time EVER in the UK. They don't tend to write tickets if you have a California (or other US) license - LOL.

The thing to watch out for is speeding cameras.

[richardL]

Cameras are real pain and they LOVE them now - they're all over the place. Rental car companies will pass on the ticket to you. I always worked on the 'no problem below 100mph' on the motorways (when I had a car capable) - I've been passed by cops when I was cruising at 90+.

For tourist stuff the Tower of London pretty good - swords, armour, dungeons and also the Crown Jewels.

Have fun. I was there two weeks ago and it was freezing point with a bitter wind - I was glad to get back to 85 in CA!

Richard

[Katmanken]

Take a Bath,,,, errrr Go to Bath.

My nephew and his bride spent a few years over there getting degrees at Cambridge. When my sister went over to visit them , they took her to their favorite place- Bath.

Its a still functioning real Roman bath. You know, from Roman times. Hadrian, gladiators, all that.

When eating breakfast, be sure to answer the question correctly " Very good sir, will that be one rack or two?" Why anyone would serve toast in racks is beyond me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Must be why the nephew got a toast rack for his wedding gift. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Oh yeah, eat your beans. They serve them for breakfast. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Ken

[double-a]

wow, sounds as if lots of you guys have been there, i just hope i have enough free time to do even half of what you all suggest. i've heard about english food, it's "legendary." but... not in a good way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) beans for breakfast? that's just not right...

[campbellcj]

We had some really excellent food in London when last there a few years ago.

Of course it was French and Indian food, mostly <_<

I will be there again in July (biz trip) - thanks for the refresher on things to do. I am hoping to take some time and get up to Ireland and maybe Scotland also. Ancestral homelands, and all that...

[rhodyguy]

try the black pudding with breakfast (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) . beware of refills on your coffee. i visited a friend when my divorce was finnishing up in 86. the first breakfast, the waitress kept asking if i wanted a refill. "yes please!". my buddy was laughing everytime i had a cup. got the bill, charged for every cup! have some 5 star tandori and a couple o' pints a guiness. SURPRISE!!! the virgin mega store in london is fun if you're into music.

kevin

[thesey914]

Yep Damn speed cameras everywhere..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)
(IMG:http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=tbn:xdGMnhacA30J:www.virtualswanage.co.uk/images/gatso.gif)


-and don't forget the "congestion charge" if you do drive in London

[thesey914]

- if you're over 6'1", get a camouflage outfit cause you will stick out like a sore thumb. londonians are SHORT!

While we're stereotyping....While I was Heidelberg last all the Krauts had handle bar moustaches and mullets and looked like the queer one out of The Village People (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)