This is one of the sites in London that I visit frequently lately, due to my research. It is open…read moreto the public. We didn't stay long to witness a court hearing / in action.  It's known as the Law Courts locally. This Grade I  listed building is in Westminster, housing the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. (The Central Criminal Court, known as Old Bailey is next to the Royal Exchange.)  Before 1875' courts were housed in Westminster Hall' Lincoln's Inn, and a few other buildings around London. When it was decided to have a centralized court, Parliament paid £1'453'000 for the 7.5-acre site. Reported that 4'175 people lived in 450 houses had to be moved. George E. Street (1824-81) was appointed in 1868 as the sole architect, building began five years later, and Queen Victoria opened it on December 4th 1882.

Really intersting to see and learn the history!…read more You should take the time to see this place when your in town!

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Merely four stops away on the 56 or 4 bus routes, or a pleasant 15 minute walk past City…read moreUniversity, the India Visa office is conveniently located in The Angel, in Central London. Rather than busying yourself with the rigamarole of the Indian High Commission in Aldwych, you should *definitely* pay a visit to this cute little office just off Angel's Upper Street. Its only function is to provide you with a visa (any visa) to go to India, be you tourist or jetsetting business person. Inside they have: - One non-smiling (but very helpful) receptionist/ticket-giver - One coin-operated photocopier - One computer for last-minute online applications - One photobooth (specializing in the Indian visa's particular passport picture sizes) - One vending machine - One hundred straight-backed chairs - Three loos (male, female, accessible) - Twelve counters, each manned by a smiley brown person - One travel information counter - Two ticketing screens with Bollywood adverts My favourite thing about this office is how easy the staff make the Indian Visa application process -- as long as you're not expecting the glitz of an Embassy, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised with the service. When they say "There's a problem with your application," they talk you through how to fix it. When they see you apply for visas almost every other year, they tell you how you could save money by applying for a one-year or 5-year visa. Most importantly, when they say "Your passport will be ready for collection in 3-4 business days, please check our website," your newly-visaed passport really is ready in such a short time. I like how well-informed and well-organized the little office community are. My only problem is the décor and general appearance of the offices -- they haven't been refurbished since the late 90s/early noughties, and it seems a shame they don't have somewhere for the kids to play while the parents wait for their passports. Would come again Would recommend to a friend Am encouraging you to take a trip to India!

This place does a perfectly fine job of what it's supposed to do. And that is provide somewhere for…read morethe final stage of the headache-inducing process that is getting a visa for India. If you're heading here you've probably already been on the fairly unhelpful website whose links send you round in circles. You will have completed the temperamental online application form. You will have torn your hair out trying to find somewhere that takes 2in x 2in photos rather than the standard passport sized ones, and winced when they cost you at least £7. You will have winced again at the £90 cost of the visa. You will have been told to download the mysteriously undownloadable checklist before you come to the centre. And you may even have tried to book an appointment at the centre and found the next one isn't for a fortnight. None of which is the fault of this place, but does explain why stress levels seem to be elevated when you arrive. Luckily it should be straightforward from here. They take applications from 8.30am to 2.30pm and after a nightmare lunchtime visit last time I went for an early morning attempt which proved better. On arrival you'll see The Queue of Tension snaking out the office door - appointment or not, everyone has to join this. The front dozen lucky people even get to stand inside the building. Tension peaks upon reaching The Desk of Determination, where 2 very helpful gents have the unenviable task of telling everyone what's immediately wrong with their application. Perhaps a third of the queue is turned away here (usually a wrongly sized photo or they need extra documents if applying for someone else). Another third get given extra instructions (usually to sign the form or glue their photo on with the pritt stick in the corner). The final third get an approving nod that triggers a rush of relief (this was me, phew). You'll then be given a ticket number and waved through to the The Room of The Painfully Long Wait. Take a seat, you're going nowhere fast. I'd say bring a book as the signs say no electronic devices, but the vast majority of people were typing on phones without anyone objecting. People-watching is also good fun (and mentally guessing the purpose of everyone's trip!). I did actually bring a book and almost fell into the trap of getting so absorbed in the story that I missed my number eek! They have toilets, a vending machine, a glue stick and a photo booth (though if you didn't bring pics, the one at the newsagent down the road is cheaper). All appointments get a fast-track counter and there's maybe 7-9 others open for everyone else (which is most people given how limited the appts are). Expect the ticket numbers to count up at approx one per minute as a rule of thumb. It's almost impossible to resist a fist pump when it gets to your turn, and it takes about 5mins at the very efficient counter then you're done. To give you an idea, for a plain vanilla tourist visa I joined The Queue at about 8.30am, reached The Desk at just after 9, and was seen at a counter at about 10.15 so make sure you allow enough time. With the benefit of hindsight I'd say get there half an hour earlier, triple check what you need to bring (esp a second photo!), don't bring your kids and pick up a coffee en route!

Oh I think she's a wonderful personality and I could watch youtube videos of her for hours on end…read more In 1998, I sent her a portrait drawing of herself (which was pretty good considering I've had no art training) in a rotten old jiffybag. I was surprised when it came back rolled up in a tube with a letter from her secretary and a signed photograph. A lot of the manufacturing went overseas but I think that was starting to happen anyway before she took over. She transformed Britain from 'The Sick Man of Europe' into the world's fourth largest economy. She was bang on about Britain staying out of the Euro currency zone and it was her venom at the end of her premiership that I think has echoed with successive prime ministers. Okay, so a lot of soldiers died in the Falklands war but Blair wouldn't have lifted a finger to protect British citizens from the Argentines and more British soldiers have died in the Middle East. I liked the Thatcher government's response to the AIDS crisis and its strong advertising about condoms advice that has probably saved my life. I do not like bitchy, bullying people but I do not see Thatcher as that at all. I positively like her. The people I've got sympathy for are the passengers on Pan Am Flight 103 who were blown out of the sky and then had the culprit released by the Labour government. It's the Blairs I'll be celebrating the death of!

We walked blocks and blocks to get to this spot to see where Freddie Mercury's last residence and…read morestudio was in London. There isn't much to see but a high wall painted in anti graffiti paint. There isn't much to see or do, no tour to take - therefore it was just an okay experience for me. The highlight was the memories that sprung to mind when being in this place.

I went to visit Freddie's final haunt more for sentiment than expecting to see some great tribute,…read moreor anything much more than a vandalised door and some bricks (as the previous Yelp pictures suggested). I was pleasantly surprised that it seems a compromise has been reached between vandalism and tribute; the bricks directly beside that famous door - now redecorated with 'Garden Lodge' printed on it - are covered in perspex but fans have slipped through letters, notes, doodles, all full of so much love. In reality, Freddie was a private man and I doubt he'd want a shrine (he objected to the place being turned into a museum, apparently) but to see the love people still hold for him nearly 25 years on is beautiful. My sentiments were fulfilled, and I respectfully left listening to 'I'm Going Slightly Mad'. Just around the corner (I kid you not) I bumped into a person dressed as a life-size can of paint. I was already wondering if 'slightly' wasn't quite appropriate for me but that just proved it - hah! Worth going for the sentiment alone, if you're sentimental like that. You won't be bowled over by what you see but more what you feel, if you're that way inclined.

If you're a fan of the Asian cuisine, then you gotta come into China Town London for some delicious…read morefood! There's Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Thai. And they're all amazing and authentic!

If you are a foodie you have to stop here. So many selections of Asian cuisine it's hard to choose…read morefrom! You honestly cant go wrong with any of them.

We attended mass at The London Oratory and had a nice time. The sanctuary is absolutely stunning…read more We attended the Sunday evening service, so it was not as busy. The statues, art, and architecture are stunning! It's an incredible space and absolutely worth a visit even if you don't participate in the services. It's is also conveniently near a lot of nice restaurants and shopping, so you can visit it while doing other things in London. Be sure to pop in!

Located on the Brompton road between Knightsbridge and south Kensington, you can see this Catholic…read moreChurch from the distance. It's an architectural masterpiece and given that it's situated next to both the V&A museum and natural history museum, the building needed to make a statement which it does. This is one of the few Catholic Churches in London that offers the mass in Latin and as such is a must stop for any traditionalist. The Latin mass attracts lots of young people and is say its well worth experiencing. Services are offered in English too and the church is also open for private prayer.

Visiting the iconic Buckingham Palace was a must do on my trip to London. We planned our visit as…read morepart of a walking tour through St. James Park. We weren't alone. Hundreds of visitors were taking selfies in front of the massive gold and black gates. Everyone was hoping to get a glimpse of royalty that might pass through the massive black and gold gates. The palace from the Mall vantage point is a neoclassical addition that was completed in 1913. The famous balcony where I watched the Queen appear for decades is the central focal point. There is no charge for a walk by visit, but for a fee, you can tour parts of the inside.

Another thing to do on a first visit to London. Watching the changing of the guard is really cool…read more The audio guided tour is really helpful and educational as you're going through the state rooms, gallery, throne, and the incredible staircase. The cafe is outside (garden) and provides incredible views.

I saw many recommendations for Sky Garden when doing research for my trip to London, and I can say…read morethat it's well deserved. You really can't beat a free observation deck. Though Sky Garden is free, you still need to book a timed reservation in advance...as in, right when they release the dates 3 weeks in advance. They will run out pretty quickly even if you wait a few days, especially if you're going during busy season. I saw that the reservation is good for one hour, but honestly, they didn't check when I went so they might not be strict on that depending on the crowd level. I went in about 20 minutes early because I wasn't doing anything. You'll check in and go through security. Then you'll get in an elevator to the top. My reservation was at 10:00am, so I got through the initial line and security quickly, but I imagine it would be a long wait later in the day. The view out is great, and there's a balcony so you can take pictures outside. I think the interior architecture was the highlight though along with the greenery. There's so much natural light that gets in the room. It would have been amazing to go during sunset, but that didn't fit in with my plans. Luckily, the view in the morning was good, and the sunny weather was on my side. They have a cafe and a restaurant there. Though overpriced, I still got a flat white to sip on while I took in the views. Overall, I spent about an hour at a slow pace. You definitely don't need that much time, so if you have the chance to visit, it's definitely worth it. Only issue was the line to go back down took longer than expected since people don't maximize elevator space.

Sky Garden ended up being such a fun experience while we were in London…read more We started at the restaurant on the 27th floor and ordered a bottle of champagne for my friend's birthday. They gave us a really nice birthday discount which was unexpected and appreciated. The service the whole time was fantastic and the views were honestly incredible. After that we went down to the 26th floor and stayed there for a while because the vibe was just really good. Live music, more amazing views, people hanging out and enjoying themselves... it felt very "London night out" in the best way. Touristy? Sure. Worth it? Absolutely. Definitely something I'd recommend making time for if you're visiting London.