My trips to London!

London Dungeon

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Attraction | "London Dungeons....scary but brilliant!"

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The dungeons are located on Tooley Street in London and are closest to the London Bridge tube station.We arrived at the dungeons at around 9.25am. There was already a small queue formed, and the dungeons open at 9.30am on a Saturday. We perhaps queued for around 10 minutes before the doors were opened and we began to move inside to pay. Now I think this was pretty good going as I have heard some real horror stories about the length of the queues to get in this attraction and how people can wait for hours on end to go in.Once inside we had to queue in a dark corridor. There were tombstones and things painted on the walls and it all looked quite gloomy. I admit even at this point...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 3, 2012

London Dungeon
28-34 Tooley Street
London, England
+44 20 7403 7221

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Madame Tussauds

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Attraction | "Madame Tussauds London"

George clooney took me for dinner! Photo - Madame Tussauds, London, England

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Madame Tussauds is known worldwide for their wax works of celebrities and influential people. I have visited the one in London a few times now.**How to get there**Madame Tussauds is easily accessible from the Baker Street tube station and is just a couple of minutes walk down the road from the tube station exit. The attraction is on Marylebone Road and is very easy to spot as there are often long queues.The Baker Street tube station is served by the Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines so it is very easy to get to this station from most places in central London.**Opening times**Madame Tussauds is open for v...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 3, 2012

Madame Tussauds
Marylebone Road
London, England NW1 5LR
44 (870) 999 0046

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TKTS Leicester Square

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Attraction | "tkts discount tickets, Lecister Square, London"

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In February 2008 I visited London for the first time and so began my love affair with the city! I have now visited London many times as I had to travel there to see my ex boyfriend and have been there on visits with friends and family too. One of my favourite things to do when I am there is see a show in the West End. On my first trip to London my friend and I booked tickets to see Dirty Dancing through the ticketmaster website. These tickets were front row and cost us £60.00 each plus various add on service charges making the cost around £65 per ticket. This is obviously not cheap and so on subsequent trips we decided it would be best to look at other options. In a search for ...Read More

In February 2008 I visited London for the first time and so began my love affair with the city! I have now visited London many times as I had to travel there to see my ex boyfriend and have been there on visits with friends and family too. One of my favourite things to do when I am there is see a show in the West End.

On my first trip to London my friend and I booked tickets to see Dirty Dancing through the ticketmaster website. These tickets were front row and cost us £60.00 each plus various add on service charges making the cost around £65 per ticket. This is obviously not cheap and so on subsequent trips we decided it would be best to look at other options.

In a search for other options on the internet I came across www.tkts.co.uk which has a booth in Leicester Square, London. The offer hugely discounted theatre tickets which you can buy on the day of the show. You have to actually go down and buy the tickets in person and not online however there are lists online which will give you guide prices for the shows at that time.

As I mentioned the ticket booth is situated in Leicester square and as such the nearest tube station is Leicester Square. When you exit the station you need to turn right and walk towards the large Vue cinema. Then you can turn left and walk by Chiquito's restaurant and you will see a booth just to your right.

There are around four or five windows at the booth and as such have never really had to wait to get my tickets. In my experience the staffs are always polite, helpful and friendly. They will aim to get the best tickets for you at that time and they will also provide you with a map and point out where the theatre which is showing your chosen show is. I have found that by researching the shows I would like to see and noting where they are being shown at is very helpful too for these visits.

There is a large board on both sides of the Tkts booth with led writing on which shows all of the shows which are available to book that day and their prices. Most of the prices will be around 50% lower than the recommended price and those which you would pay booking in advance.

On my last two visits to London I have used Tkts on both occasions. On the first we booked second row tickets to see Chicago for £32.00 per ticker and on my second visit we booked tickets to see Oliver! On the fifth row for £35.00 per ticket. These are huge savings compared to if I had booked them online in advance with someone like ticketmaster.

I have nothing but good things to say about buying tickets from Tkts. I believe you can even buy tickets for a couple of days in advance once you are down there too.

I doubt I will ever book West End theatre tickets in advance again and I will instead continue to make savings using Tkts.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 2, 2012

TKTS Leicester Square
Clocktower Building
West End, London

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Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

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Attraction | "Shrek the musical"

Us in the foyer Photo - Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, England

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Booking ticketsOrdinarily I would book tickets for a show when I got to London using the tkts booth in Leicester Square but as this was a new show I was concerned that they may not be selling the tickets or that they would not have any when we got down there so I decided to book the tickets through ticketmaster. The ticket prices really do vary with some of the best seats costing upwards of ninety pounds but we settled for mid range tickets towards the back of the stalls which apparently were limited view which cost £55.00 per ticket but had booking fees and such like on top making them around £60.00 per ticket. Getting thereThe show is at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (I just love t...Read More

Booking tickets
Ordinarily I would book tickets for a show when I got to London using the tkts booth in Leicester Square but as this was a new show I was concerned that they may not be selling the tickets or that they would not have any when we got down there so I decided to book the tickets through ticketmaster. The ticket prices really do vary with some of the best seats costing upwards of ninety pounds but we settled for mid range tickets towards the back of the stalls which apparently were limited view which cost £55.00 per ticket but had booking fees and such like on top making them around £60.00 per ticket.
Getting there
The show is at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (I just love the fact that it is at Drury Lane as the film makes reference to the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane!) and so the nearest tube station is Covent Garden. You quite literally need to walk out of the station down a row of shops, down by the piazza and then after a minute you will see the theatre in the not to far distance. I would say it is a five minute walk, if that, from the tube station. You will spot the theatre immediately as it has a large green "S" with ears on the front!
The theatre and merchandise
The theatre looks very grand as they all seem to do in London’s West End. There are lots of attendants around to help you with getting in to the theatre and to let you know where your seats are and show you if required.
Inside the foyer there is a sparkly green "S" which is the perfect place for photographs to mark your trip to see the show as you are not allowed to take any photographs whilst in the main show area regardless of whether the show has started or not. There are plenty of staff wandering around inside there selling merchandise who will jump on you if you try and take a photo!
As with all shows of this kind there is merchandise being sold as well as sweets, drinks and ice cream and such like. They have t shirts, key rings, programs, soft toys, shrek ears and even whoopee cushions for sale here. My son decided he would like me to buy a small donkey soft toy which was £9.00 and I opted to buy a programme for £6.00 so he would have a memory of the day to take away with him. My sister chose a key ring which was £7.00. The merchandise is nice but over priced as always. A bag of sweets will set you back around £3.00, a drink £2.80 and a small tub of ice cream £3.50….yes we bought all of them because that’s what you do at the theatre!
The show and my opinion
For those of you who are not aware of whom Shrek is…where have you been?! Shrek is a green ogre who is feared by many but who is probably misunderstood really. Set a challenge to rescue Princess Fiona from the dragon guarded castle, Shrek sets off on an adventure which will change his life.
From the onset I knew that this show was not going to be a carbon copy of the Dreamworks film and this was something that I was pleased about because whilst I love the Shrek films I didn’t want to pay £60.00 per ticket to see something copied on to the stage from the big screen when I could watch it at home. The show of course follows the themes of the film and will also have some of the more iconic moments added in to it such as key phrases and moments but it is different as well and tells us a bit more about the background of Shrek and Fiona’s life just as an example.
The songs in the show are brilliant I have to say and are sung really well. They are frequent and often really funny too and they really do keep your attention so well. The set is also brilliant and changes effortlessly and looks really professional. One scene is Lord Farquaads castle and it actually looks like it is a three dimensional castle and I think this is wonderful seen as it is on a stage. The dragon used in the show is phenomenal and I am not exaggerating when I say that at all…it looks amazing and is well controlled and at one point flies right over the audience which is just spectacular. The change over from when Fiona is a normal looking Princess to when she is a green ogre is also done remarkable quickly and something that I was really impressed by.
Shrek is played by Nigel Lindsay and whilst he is apparently someone who has been on a few things on the television he is not someone that I was aware of at all. He plays Shrek excellently and lumbers around the stage just like you would expect an ogre to do. He acts the part really well and shows both Shrek’s scary and more misunderstood and vulnerable side brilliantly. He sings the songs really well too and was believable as the character.
Fiona is ordinarily played by Amanda Holden and I was looking forward to seeing her play the role even though I had seen some clips and was aware she wasn’t the strongest singer. When we got to the theatre though we were made aware that Amanda wouldn’t be playing Fiona during our show and whilst initially disappointed I was soon in awe of Alice Fearn who was playing the part that night. Alice was funny as the character as well as an excellent singer and I think she was brilliant at the role.
Richard Blackwood plays Shrek’s loyal companion Donkey and to be honest I was expecting more humour from him as I knew him as a comedian first and foremost. He played the part quite well but I felt Donkey could have been more stand out at times.
For me the absolute stand out performance in the show was that of Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad. In the film Lord Farquaad is a very small man with illusions of grandeur and this is portrayed in the stage show with Nigel Harman on his knees with false legs attached to his costume. It is hilarious seeing the legs move as Nigel rushes along on his knees and they are able to use this to create some hilarious moments.
The show is suitable for children age five plus and my son is six. He loved the show and was laughing out loud at many points. The show will not go over a child’s head, especially if they have seen the film, and they will enjoy all the singing, dancing and energy that the show has to offer. From an adults point of view the show is hilarious in points but much like the film it has little moments where only the adults in the audience will understand and be amused by what is going on but that it is not enough to make the children question what is going on as well. An example of this is Lord Farquaad dancing and opening up his artificial legs whilst making reference to how wonderful he is. As adults we were amused but the children just think he is dancing.
There are many cast members involved in this production some of which will be familiar to those who have seen the films such as Pinocchio, the three bears or Gingey the gingerbread man but there are also other fairy tale characters such as Humpty Dumpty, the uckly ducking and red riding hood which I have never noticed in the film. The additional cast members who are not "main" characters are still really prominent in the show and provide some excellent entertainment by the way of singing and dancing.
My son’s favourite parts of the show where when Fiona and Shrek discovered they had a little bit more in common than first thought as they burp and fart through a song and when the dragon comes flying over the audience. We were covered slightly by the over hang from the seats above so perhaps missed out on a little of the effect but he still felt it was wonderful all the same.
I can honestly say I would love to see this show again and so I cannot give it anything but my full recommendation. It was funny, well thought out, energetic and entertaining and I would definitely say go and see it if you can because it is wonderful! I can guarantee at the end of the show you will be on your feet singing, dancing and clapping!
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 2, 2012

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Catherine Street
London, England WC2B 5JF
+44 20 7494 5000

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Travelodge London Waterloo

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Hotel

Chilling on the bed in our room! Photo - Travelodge London Waterloo, London, England

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I booked this Travelodge for my recent stay in London purely based on the fact that it appeared to be quite central and it was new! It was opened on the 1st July (2010) and I believe it is the 400th Travelodge to be opened.The hotel cost £120.00 for a Friday and Saturday nights stay in a double room. Whilst not the cheapest I have had a Travelodge room it wasn't bad in comparison to other hotel prices in London! This was based on a room only and we did not purchase breakfast though it is available for around £7.00 per person per morning I think.On arriving at Waterloo Station we needed to walk to the far end of the main station towards where McDonalds and Café Nero were. There...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 2, 2012

Travelodge London Waterloo
195-203 Waterloo Road
London, England
0871 984 6291

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Travelodge London Central Euston

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Hotel | "Travelodge London Euston "

Caught brushing my teeth in the bathroom! Photo - Travelodge London Central Euston, London, England

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I have stayed at the London Euston Travelodge on two separate occasions now and on both times I have been thoroughly impressed.What can I say... I love London. I first visited London in February 2008 for a girly few nights away and fell in love with the place. I went back in February 2009 and at various points over the summer as I was then seeing someone from Essex. I went again for my 30th birthday this April and am going again in a few weeks! When I do go to London Travelodge is usually my first port of call. You can often get good deals if you book in advance, however with this hotel I have usually paid around £80 per night. The reason I choose this hotel is tha...Read More

I have stayed at the London Euston Travelodge on two separate occasions now and on both times I have been thoroughly impressed.

What can I say... I love London. I first visited London in February 2008 for a girly few nights away and fell in love with the place. I went back in February 2009 and at various points over the summer as I was then seeing someone from Essex. I went again for my 30th birthday this April and am going again in a few weeks!

When I do go to London Travelodge is usually my first port of call. You can often get good deals if you book in advance, however with this hotel I have usually paid around £80 per night.

The reason I choose this hotel is that it is literally right next to Euston train station and as I am travelling from Manchester my train lands there. You walk out of Euston and can pop by Marks and Spencer, down some steps, cross the road and there is your hotel.

It is new looking, modern and clean. As you walk in you are faced with the reception desk, and staff have always been helpful here. There are lifts to get you to your rooms, vending machines and access to wifi.

The rooms are clean and modern and in my opinion somewhat better than what you would maybe expect from other Travelodge's, certainly the older Travelodge's. You have a bathroom with a bath and shower over head. The beds are comfortable and you have access to temperature control, television with free view channels and radio.

Although the hotel is very near to the station I don't think the level of noise you hear is too disturbing. I have stayed in various places in London and there is always some noise I think no matter where you are.

The hotel is in a great location for travelling around London as obviously Euston's tube station is quite a central one. You can purchase your travel cards in the station and then you are away for the rest of the day.

I did not purchase breakfast whilst I was there but I believe it is available if you want it.

All in all I would really recommend this hotel as it is central, modern, clean and basically all you need for a few nights away!
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 2, 2012

Travelodge London Central Euston
1-11 Grafton Place
City of Westminster, London NW1 1DJ
0871 984 6332

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