General Chat

Going to London next weekend. We enjoy trying to find our way around, and ducking and diving into the nearest tube station. Luckily, hubby has a good sense of direction, and we manage eventually to get where we want to be. All part of the fun :-D

Some lovely places.

Paula. Hope I could find Grand. Used to spend a week there when young - helping South Staffs Amateur Operatics put on show. Usually knocking doors and telling them they were due on stage. But occasionally front of house selling programmes. And one year I was prompt. Mum and Dad were in chorus and sometimes had small parts.

When we had shop in Leamore, we only closed shop on Christmas Day. So would lock up about 5pm Christmas Eve and book into Victoria Hotel for a night and come home late on Christmas Day. The Grand stars would stay in the Vic.

Last time I went to Wolves, the entrance to the city from the station was so different from my childhood, when it was dirty and grimy with a High Level and Low Level. Thought I was in Barcelona or Paris :-D

Talking of tea and cake, St. Sampson Centre, near the Market is York, for the over 60s and guests? serves tea at 40p a cup. The cakes are great and the loos always clean. Another good place to eat is the Spurriergate Centre - not a chip in sight . St. Crux Church, near the food entrance to M&S, is used by various charities for fund raising so the cakes and sandwiches are always home made.

York is a wonderful City to walk in. Try all the back lanes - the natives are very friendly - I'm still surviving after almost forty years - an incomer from south east London. The winter is a good time to see the City, less tourists about

@John I don't know when you last drove around Wolverhampton but the changes over the last five years have made driving very confusing. I moved five years ago, having lived in the area for almost all of my adult life. I was lost driving around the ring road I could see Sainsbury's but just could not get past it. Last time we went The Grand in November we used the Sat Nav.

Was in Taunton yesterday. Hubby loves to think he has got a bargain so we go and have tea and cake in Hatchers, 50p each bit after 2pm. M

I can find my way to the record office in a few more cities - but nowhere else in them.

Taunton
Norwich
Shrewsbury
Worcester
Warwick

Sheila. Bath is so lovely.

Gwynne. Only thing I would add is some beautiful and recognisable buildings (Bath would be a good example). Like an old art gallery or city hall. Or libary. Ot family history centre :-)

Cities I would not get lost in while on foot -

Coventry, Birmingham, London, Cardiff, Oxford, Paris and St Davids.

I could be parachuted in to any of those and could find a decent bar/pub, museum/gallery, bookshop and clothes shops.

What else does anyone need?

Gwynne

I don't much like shopping now, I used to go into Bath every week but now much less! It's quite small so know my way around, and where to go for coffee to avoid the grockles.... It is a lovely city but I suppose I'm a bit immune to its charms sometimes when I'm battling against hordes of Spanish students or trying not to become an extra in whatever period drama they're filming.....and I do get a teensy bit bored with the STONE - give me some red brick!!! :-D :-D

As I said I doubt whether I would recognise the City now....I worked in the city from 1974 -92 and went for lunch in Cornhill for the last 5 years as Head office had a staff canteen there...just googled that address you gave to see if it was where I went and it is now flats :-0 Handy for work, I must say, would save all that fighting for a seat on the train. OH has to deliver to cheapside (he was there today as it happens) and I could'nt understand why this shop was open on a saturday...now I know :-D

Edit - The address I went to was 15 Cornhill which after googling has also been turned into residential properties....how sad :-(

Kay :-D Those are the best, aren't they. Sales time, the lady knows all her stock and will give you a real designer bargain and plenty of service. In your size - a perfect ten.

Shops always down those lovely folds and alleys - with a fab coffee shop at end.

Smelt the Welsh cakes in Cardiff Market. Big fat warm ones with loads of currants for 80p for 4. And giant ones at 80p each. :-D Where's the emoticon with a tongue sticking out and salivating? Got it :-P

Thats one in favour of us women,,,,,,we never get lost in a city as we,,,,,


can sniff a shoe and dress shop up a back ally..... :-D

MrD What a fantastic list. Don't even know where Celle is.

Yes, is was a good walk. But will not pay train fares and don't like car park charges. And walking is good. Took about 20 mins.

Remembered another city I can find my way round - Milton Keynes. Mind, that is all H's and V's :-D

City of London is fantastic, isn't it, Jax. Remember my Bank Manager at 75 Cornhill taking me down to basement and there was a huge chunk of Roman remains down there. Nowhere like London when you are single and young. I enjoyed London Welsh scene and my younger brother had girlfriend who was Polish and lived in Neasden. Huge Polish community there and Ealing. :-)

I don't suppose Cambridge has changed since I last went there, maybe 5 years ago...lived there for the worse 6 years of my life lol


OH is a scouser living down south and his job has him driving to many cities/towns in the south east each day. He probably knows these places better than I do now, I know my home town of Romford has changed from what he tells me and I doubt whether I would recognise the City of London anymore

Ok, tks Joh, but anyway :o) drive around:

Belfast, Londonderry/Derry, Cardiff, Newport, Sarajevo, Famagusta.

Walk around:

Central London, Berlin, Washington DC, Split, Celle, Kuwait, Riyadh, Naples, central Paris, central Madrid.

John - tidy walk from where you parked to City Centre - hope you didn't go to buy anything heavy !! :-D. The NosDa backpackers hotel is interesting, In Despenser St, junction with Fitzhamon, room costs gen okay, but food prices are :-S. Does have it's own bar though :-D. Benefit - minutes from City Centre (mind the bridge), and next to gods rugby stadium :-D :-D

'Course it's bi-lingual - it's in Wales ! :-| :-)

John - yes, I know Ely well, and go to the farmer's market a few times a year. It has improved a lot over the past few years, as it was looking a bit run down at one time. It's a small city, so is easy to navigate. Marvellous cathedral, but as it now costs about £8 to go in, it's ages since I have. I live only 18 miles way.

Geordie Had forgotten Cambridge and Ely. Know both quite well. Last 2 times I went to Cambridge - first time Shiley Williams went beetling past, walking at a rate of knots. Second time, Clive James near that circular church.

We used to love the Gardenia in Rose Crescent in early 80's, the character if you went into the basement fro your Greek food was wonderful :-D

york is an amazng city, and ripon is pretty to visit

I'm pretty familiar with Norwich and Cambridge, as I visit them frequently. When I went to Newcastle last June, it took quite a while to get used to it again, it had changed so much.
Trouble is, most towns and cities have become clones of eachother, with identical shopping malls with the same chain stores - no individuality. You have to seek out the historical bits.York and Cambridge still have plenty of those, plenty of heritage and interest. Peterborough, for example,has all but lost it's character, it's cathedral is swamped by the commercial centre.

Joy. On the river, on Fitzhamon Embankment, there is a very interesting hotel for bagpackers. Quite a big place, painted in dark blue. Lot of use of Welsh - all signs bilingual, "Tafarn" very conspicuous if you ride by on one of these water taxis.

Also went past a pub called "Brains" ;-)