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London for FREE by Vicki Heath

Don't panic, here are a few things you can do in London for FREE. Yes, free.

Seeing London for free is okay if you have pretty sturdy walking boots

and a lot of energy – of course, it also depends on where you live. As

for me I live in the far North West and walking down to Soho would

probably take around three hours. That would be all very well if I had

that much time at my leisure.





So a bus fare to

anywhere in London costs just £1.20. If you can scrape your pennies

together to raise that amount I’d suggest it. If you can’t then I hope

you have a bike. If not, then you’re a bit buggered but there’s a handy

website at the bottom which will help you to plan a route from wherever

you live.





So… in one of the most expensive cities in the world what can you do for FREE.





Well,

to begin with a lot of the museums and art galleries let you go round

(at least a section) for free. Some people think these are a waste of

time, but a museum or gallery can be really romantic and a bit of a

laugh. (If this really isn’t how you’d want to spend a day then scroll

down a bit – there’s a lot more to come.





Check out the British Museum





There’s

some awesome stuff on show here. From ancient Egypt to the worshipping

of Greek Gods, to a massive display around Africa. It’s educational,

but more importantly it’s perfect for a date. The best time to go is

around lunchtime on a weekend, when there aren’t so many kids there.





Get there from Great Russell St WC1B 3DG – closest tube Tottenham Court Rd




Tel: 020 7323 8299









Tate Modern – free admission to selected areas





The

Turbine Hall always has something amazing in it. Whether it’s a huge

weathercock, or a giant spider along with a sack of eggs – it’s worth

seeing. Then you’re free to head around most of the building’s

collection displays, just not the selected exhibition pieces. The

building is amazing and it’s the perfect location for a stroll along

South Bank afterwards.




Bankside SE1 9TG – next to the Millennium Bridge




Tel: 020 7887 8000









Sir John Soane’s Museum





Free Tuesday – Saturday, 10-5





This

museum is unlike any you would have been to before. It’s a house. Sir

John Soane was an architect and interior designer, as well as a tutor.

His house is covered in mirrors to make the space look a million times

bigger. And the bits and bobs crammed in will keep you looking for

hours. Some of the staff blend in a bit too much with the history of

the place, but if you can avoid most of them you’ll have a great time

opening up walls finding masses of paintings and hidden passageways.





13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields WC2A 3BP – Holborn Station is closest.





Still,

if museums and galleries just aren’t your thing there’s plenty more.

Try out some of the markets, technically they’re free so long as you

don’t buy anything.









Camden





If you haven’t

ventured up there yet this is one the best bits of London. Okay, so the

streets are covered in grime and a lot of the people are kind of scary,

and you’re sure to be asked to buy some dope while you’re there, but

hey, Camden wouldn’t be Camden if it lost it’s dodgy atmosphere. It

doesn’t matter if you’re skint, walking round Camden’s many markets



will fill you with a sense of achievement. It’s what London is all

about: mixing with everyone and anyone, from everywhere and anywhere.

Truly awesome.





Simply turn right by Camden Tube station and you’re there.









Spitalfields





If

you want something a little less crazy on a Sunday Spitalfields Markets

are worth checking out. Again, you don’t need cash to have a good day.

It’s filled with amazing and unique designers’ work, and chatting to

the market stall-holders is great – they’re some of the most

entertaining people in London. There’s a food, clothing and flower

market to walk around. It’s all free to see so just enjoy the

atmosphere.









Old Spitalfields Market





Brushfield St E1 – close to Liverpool St station.





If you’re into exercising and can’t afford the gym try out a little of London’s finest…









The Roller Stroll





Anyone

can do this, so long as you can “stop effectively on skates”. They meet

every Sunday at 2pm on the East side of Serpentine Rd near Hyde Park

Corner. They then go for a ‘group skate’ for around 6 miles, but you

can drop out when you need to, no one counts the miles. It’s a great

laugh and if your balance isn’t very good then it’s even more

entertaining.




It’s just about opposite Hyde Park, check out their website to see the routes.





And

whilst we’re on the subject of ‘the great outdoors’, London’s parks are

always a must for a sunny day. There are loads of them, but my

favourite is...









Hyde Park





The best time to go to

one of London’s most beautiful parks is a Sunday, mid afternoon. And

why? Well, on a Sunday it’s Speakers Corner. Crazy people stand on soap

boxes, telephone books, step ladders, actually anything that’s more

than two foot off the ground, and they begin debates. You’re free to

wander round each speaker and join their argument, and you’re free to

stack up your own Yellow Pages and shout about what matters to you.

It’s a great laugh. And if you’re thinking of speaking out you’ll find

loads of people in costume to illustrate their points. Last week I saw

a rather angry, very tall and beefy black guy on top of a bucket

dressed as a Viking. Genius.





Go down Oxford Street until you get to Marble Arch tube and wander under the subway, just follow the signs.





All

that’s left is where to eat in London for free. After searching



hundreds of websites and guides I only found one place where you can

get a free meal (other than tea and toast from random Christians in odd

places).









Hare Krishna





Okay, so it sounds a bit

obscure. It is. I found out that you can go there between 12.30 and 1pm

Monday to Saturday and they’ll give you a free veggie curry. So, I went

along. With a hangover. It wasn’t the best idea but they welcomed me

in, invited me and my friends to join a reading and then to eat with

them. Unfortunately my hangover made me really paranoid (and I started

freaking out) and I felt guilty for taking food from these lovely

people just for research purposes. On all accounts the food is good.

And I will be going back sometime very soon, minus hangover state, to

check it out properly. So long as you don’t mind going with the flow

and chatting to random people it’s interesting, entertaining and free.





10 Soho St, just off Oxford Street at the Charing Cross Rd end.
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