London Top 10 Things to do with Useful Links
What to do in London?
6 (-) The Changing of the Guards
The changing of the guards takes place daily at 11am. Except Sundays when its at 10am. If you are lucky enough to be in London on the Queens official birthday you can watch the Trooping of the Colour which takes place at the rear of Horse Guards Barracks.
The Changing of the Guards
7 (36) Big Ben
When parliament is in session a light emanates above Big Ben's face. There are also cells within the clock tower where Members of Parliament can be imprisoned for a breach of parliamentary privilege. Sadly, the last occurrence was in 1880 but what a great idea! It should readopted and determine by the voting public. This will get the people more involved in politics.
Although often used to describe the 320 foot tall clock tower Big Ben is in fact the name of the bell. Bell ringing is/was quite popular in rural England and the naming of bells is not uncommon.
Sadly Big Ben is not open to the general public but you can hear it every hour of every day.
Big Ben
Little Ben
There is a miniature replica of Big Ben outside of Victoria train station. I like to think of it as a monument to all the little Bens that have been sold by numerous gifts shops around the capital. One day little Ben will also have cheap imported plastic copies made of it. Very small ones.
8 (37) The National Gallery
Permanent collection cost nothing which is amazingly when you consider the priceless nature of the art on display. Admission prices are applied to special exhibitions. No pictures or video are allowed.
You'll recognise many of the masterpieces but the guided and audio tours are still a good idea. The gallery has invested in PCs to allow you to view the artwork with caffeine at hand.
National Gallery
9 Natural History Museum
You could easily spend more than a day in the Natural History Museum. Thoughtfully the museum is spilt into different zones so you can focus on what you want to see the most first. Costing nothing to get in allows you to come back for anything you might miss out on or want to see again.
Natural History Museum
10 (15) Westminster Abbey
Go out back behind the Abbey to the courtyard and take in the views. You can sit on benches or lie in the grass and relax for a while. You will not be disappointed by this amazing place.
If you believe go along to Evensong. The service commences early evening and lasts about 45 minutes, during which you are treated to a mesmerizing chorus and breathtaking views.
Westminster Abbey