h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

No-one's mentioned the Tower of London yet, so...

The Tower of London. Crown jewels, Beefeaters, ravens, and history by the bucketful.

In the same general vicinity there's Tower Bridge, where you can go to the elevated walkway as well as visit the museum of the bridge's original hydraulic workings, if you're interested in that sort of thing. Also, HMS Belfast is moored nearby, which is v. interesting.

For kids, the London Dungeon is also worth a trip.

RF

You forgot Great Yarmouth, Ipswitch, and Beccles.

I quite like Great Yarmouth.

Cracking crazy golf. Some nice bars.

B

Well, I guess someone* has to like it! I've not been there in years, it just always seemed so run down. I think it was a close contender with Lowestoft a few years back for the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe...

Indeed you can get from Oxford to Stratford by train and it costs 11.70 return.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney/Time_Table/Display_Matrix.asp?T2ID=5568_2004726132531

www.nationalrail.co.uk is a good site which tells you the times of trains around the place. Just remember getting around britan by train is an art and if you've got a query post it to askh2g2 and millions of people will quickly tell you the problem - we are train geeks!

Try and get to a Stately home or two whilst you are here, there are a number around Stratford upon Avon that are worth a visit. Ooh and don't forget Castles, try and fit one in as well.

The National Gallery is my favourite gallery in the world, not only is it free! but the paintings are fantasitc if you like figerative art.

If you like Turner go to the Tate Britian Gallery if you like modern Tate Modern is good - both are free.

I thought that was Rotherham?

Ooh! Add that to the list.

B

You could go to Southwold go to the Adnams brewery of course, its an awful place to try to get too transport wise..
Avoid Manchester too

If you want a historic palace, Hampton Court Palace is worth a day out. You can get their by first taking a cruise down the Thames from Richmond, as well as the more conventional ways of getting there.

RF

My little one (he's 7) loved the science museum recently so I'd recommend that for kids..especially the basement..they seem to like the animatronic dinosaurs at the natural history too.

I'd recommend that you take them on the Dlr past canary wharf and down to island gardens.My kids always pretend to drive the train .we usually get ti fron Tower Hill right near the Tower Of London.

that sounds good. do i understand these trains are driverless and you can sit right in front? there's a metro line like that in lyon; it's true kids love it.

as for the tower itself, a 3-day stay mightn't be long enough; judging from what i've read in guidebooks the queue is about 4.5 days.

isn't stratford-upon-avon in japan? that would be a ways to go from london!

Er No! I go every weekend (and I start of in Birmingham!)

ive lived most of my life in Blighty and performed several of the the bards plays but I have never been to Stratford .How wierd is that?

please forgive my crazy attitude about the responsibilities of countries.
if i had a chance to moan at world leaders i would, believe me im working on it.
im very tired and wired and that one sort of slipped out
the reason for my unhappieness is valid though.
sorry again, (plus the fact i assumed you are a male, only valid as women never really comit war)
and in assuming i am talking to a man, i am not polite about death.
i will not speak again in this thread...ever

Iliked Hull and Rotheram I like most places in the North of the country I didnt like Cumernauld but that's in another country I suppose

Hull has a fairly interesting Harbour bit some nice pubs and places to watch play/sport.

Rotheram much the same just without the harbour bit.

If anyone gets to the Midlands you can go to the Blackcountry Living Museum where you can see and findout many interesting things. Such as what the name *blackcountry* means and it also has history by the barge load. Id steer clear of palaces and castles we all know the history of the people who lived and died in those places. The history of people who worked and lived in this land is far more enriching.

one love

Born in Rotherham (not to a teenage Mum)

It's quite a distance but Durham is a gorgeous little city and you could team that with trips to Newcastle and also the open-air museum at Beamish, which has an old town, farm, mine, school etc and actors explaining British life, I think from around 1900.

And then there's Cambridge - home of 2legs, hmm, praps not, then!

The London Aquarium is worth a visit if you've got kids; it's also adjacent to the London Eye, the Saatchi Gallery (not suitable for younger kids or those offended by crap art ) and a mere stroll from the Houses of Parliament on t'other side of the river. The NFT (National Film Theatre)further along the South Bank is always worth a look too as is the Festival Hall where there is often live music (free!) in the bar area.

Reddyfreddy recommended going to Hampton Court by boat from Richmond earlier which I'd heartily agree with and would also suggest a stroll in Bushey Park, or indeed Richmond Park (bigger and a lot less cultivated) if you want a bit of fresh(ish) air... well as fresh as you can get under the flight path for Heathrow!

Enjoy

One of the things we do well is history, but the key thing is to work out what sort of things you want to experience - shows, art, theatre, comedy, music, stately homes, castles, good stuff for kids, animals, whatever, and build your itinerary around that.

The London Eye is a must-do though!

Ben

Rotherham is a fine place. Now Oxford on the other hand is a right dump and you're best leaving it well alone.

One of the things, though, is to be able to answer the question "where did you go to?" with places that people have at least heard of.

Thus: Oxford.

It also has the Pitt Rivers Museum, which is a bizzare and incredibly cool victorian museum of ethnology, full of shrunken heads and stuff like that.

B