Be a Tourist!

   You're in London.  Chances are you don't live there- and even if you do, most people avoid the tourist areas for any number of reasons: crowds, pickpockets, crowds, overpriced trinkets you find yourself needing to have... and crowds.  But it's important to be a tourist, even in your own town.  Think about it, there's a reason those places are famous in the first place.

   Take ridiculous pictures of yourself in front of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the horse guards and Buckingham Palace.  And no matter how artistic and beautiful your shots may be, the people listening to your exciting tales always appreciate when you make an appearance on camera.

In front of Big Ben (and the red telephone booth)

   Take it as a challenge to get the odd angle or the little detail that most tourists would skim over.  It'll help you stay sharp when you're working a place that you really wanna be.

Natural History Museum

Sometimes going into the box 

is the only way to get outside of it.

Natural History Museum

England Sports

   What is the world without football, without rugby?  There is no comparison to the United States within the passion that the rest of the world puts into these sports.  Gangs are formed (Green Street Hooligans), and die hard fans stick to their the team they've grown up with through thick and thin- never straying.  And yet, sports is family, is community, is teamwork and respect.

   Another student focused her project on the football community, while I didn't attend any official football matches I did see some unofficial games in the Parks and I did attend a rugby match.

   On a pleasant Sunday afternoon I made the trek back to Twickenham Stadium for the Killik Cup match between England and the Barbarians (the first trek was for the Heineken Cup between Ulster and Leinster).  While I wasn't able to get tickets for the Heineken Cup, I was able to grab good tickets for a great price for the Killik Cup.  So I donned my England jersey and took my seat in the crowd.

   Even if you don't like sports, you will fall in love with the crowd.  In any sport bigger games (like the Heineken Cup) have larger, more rambunctious crowds; while smaller games (the Killik Cup) have more amiable crowds.  Everyone from small children not really paying attention to the game to old men don their teams' colors to cheer them onto victory.  Sunday afternoon I was treated to several successful wave completions and a dominating victory by England.

   My favorite part of the game?  The camaraderie sections developed within themselves in the stands.  Most of the time if there were boos coming from the crowd, it wasn't directed at the players on the field, rather at the section across the stadium who decided that they were not going to be part of the wave.


   Even if you don't know the rules, or any of the teams playing.  Find a sport you think you would enjoy and enjoy a beautiful day cheering a team onto victory.

   England loves its sports.  And if you really wanna feel the spirit of the city put it on your list to go at least once (more than likely you'll get addicted to it and return.)

Weather 101

   You've probably heard that it's always grey and raining in London. And yes, a lot of times the skies are grey and there is an ever present drizzle. But sometimes the skies are blue and Londoners flock from inside like the sun from behind the clouds. Sundresses and sandals emerge from the peacoats and boots and the parks explode with people.

   Most of the time I spent in London was during a heat wave that had even those most pessimistic Londoner in summer clothes. Blue skies pushed us out of the flat into the park for picnic dinners and watching everyone else enjoy the weather.

   However, much like the Ohio weather I'm used to, nothing ever lasts too long. In one day I was in a thin strapped shirt enjoying the sun in the morning. In the afternoon clouds moved in and within the course of 2 hours it has twice rained for about 5 minutes, interrupted again with blue skies and sun.

   So be like a Londoner- be ready for rain at any moment (know where you can take refuge inside/underground/on a bus) but enjoy the sunny days.

London Weather

Safety

London is a city of about 8 million people of all races, morals, and ages. And while it is fair to say that a majority of the people here are respectful, there is also the other side of the coin. There are people all over the world looking to take advantage of someone else, London is no different.

That being said- there are cameras everywhere as well as people who pay attention to what goes on around them. But things happen, so keep track of your bags- and make sure those bags have zippers.

The sight of headphones is omnipresent throughout the city. Now, I'm the type of person that listens to their music so loud that other people (on the other side of the room) can hear it coming out of my headphones. (I know, I know, it's a bad habit I'm working on breaking). Regardless, when I'm wearing my headphones in public I have it turned so I can almost kinda still hear the music. Not only do I consider this courtesy to the people around me sparing them from my very random music collection, it also allows me to still hear what's going on around me. In the tube, I am able to hear if my train got switched to a different platform (which happens quite often); and in the street I am still able to hear the traffic around me.

Make sure you double check your possessions when leaving the tube or a taxi, it is easy to forget important items on the seat.

If something should happen and you need to call the police just remember: 999

Metropolitan Police Website

Market Day

Camden Markets
Petticoat Lane
Brick Lane
Greenwich Market
...just to name the famous.

   For every taste and hobby, there is a market in London just for you.  From crafts to vintage clothing to designer tags there is something for everybody- even just for the window shopper.  The Markets were my favorite weekend activity, as well as a great thing to stumble onto in a random parking lot.  The biggest markets typically happen Saturday and Sunday morning to mid-afternoon, but they are worth rousing yourself from your cozy bed.


Let's start at the top: 
Camden Markets.
   Essential for anyone who calls themselves a lover of art and self-expression, Camden in general is a must see affair.  During the week the shops along the street are open as well as some of the stalls in the market.  And there are still plenty of people wandering the streets, but the weekend is when the town really explodes.
   In the old barn the horse stalls are overflowing with handmade leather journals next to the mass-produced t-shirts.  Not only it is a great little haven for artists it is a great place to find really creative gifts for other people you may be shopping for.
   The people wandering the streets of London in general are a great place to hunt for characters- however Camden is truly the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if you've been searching for inspiration.  Goth and musicians and painters all call Camden home.

Petticoat Lane:
   If you're in the need to go shopping for clothes or shoes, I recommend wandering around Petticoat Lane for a bit.  The vendors are loud and in your face about their products, yelling over their competition in neighboring booths.  And yet there is a relaxed atmosphere, maybe that's just because it was a cloudy day at the end of a very beautiful week.

Petticoat Lane

Brick Lane:
   Not quite sure if I ever really made it to Brick Lane Markets, however I did find an awesome little collection of vintage shops and a ton of really creative graffiti.

   Which of course, was rewarding in its own right.  And led me to a lot of creative costume solutions.  The vintage shops ranged from well lit, security tagged merchandise to cramped little basements overflowing with well-used clothes and bags.
   Even though I was only window shopping (this visit) I was able to pull costumes for each of the characters I had found on the streets of London.

Moral of the Story:

Don't spend hundreds of dollars and hours of time making costumes, browse the vintage shops on Brick Lane (and other markets) for cheaper solutions.

   Final note about Brick Lane: go for street art.  It is everywhere and part of the atmosphere and the personalities of the shops themselves.  The world is a giant canvas and there are still parts out of Central London that let artists color the world for the enjoyment of others.


Greenwich Market:
   I literally stumbled onto the Greenwich Markets on accident while following a group of locals along the side streets (and after getting lost in a market stuck in the middle of a parking lot).  Tucked behind and between buildings the covered market opens into a crowded collection of booths filled with independent artisans.  Just simple curiosity started conversations explaining who they were and how they did what they did, a community of Londoners making a living by doing what they love.

----------------------------------------------

   There are markets for every taste, every talent and passion.  Communities who come together for a weekend of catching up and selling whatever they sell.  They gather in parking lots and in horse stalls, bartering and competing for a sale.

London Resources

   London Film has a link on their page if you are interested in hiring local crew members. Understandably, this may not be an option for a low- budget filmmaker. However, it is good if you suddenly would need a replacement or a special technician for a problem on set.

Local London Crews

   Tours are a great to see the city. Have a pen and paper so you can write down places to revisit and explore deeper behind the main tour guided area. You also have the chance to learn interesting snippets from your tour guide. While taking pictures around Big Ben a tour group stopped near me and I learned that Winston Churchill's statue is the only statue not facing the Green because he was once quoted as saying that he would never turn his back on parliament. If he faced the Green like the other statues he would have his back to parliament. Interesting right?

   So be a tourist, go on a couple of tours and learn something quirky about London (and there are lots of quirky things to discover.)

Walking Tours

Special Events

One of London's biggest tourist draws is the royalty; what they are doing, where they are at, and what's going on around them. I am here during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (we actually head home the day that all the official pageantry begins.) What it means though, is that the city is filling up even more.

The Diamond Jubilee

The Monarchy

As well, London is gearing up for the 2012 summer Olympic games so there have already been many delays and re-routings as underground lines are expanded for the crowds. Everywhere there are signs posted telling Londoners to be prepared to take alternate routes around the city as millions of people from all around the world flood the city.

I find it to be an interesting dynamic of the city officials almost saying to Londoners, “We know you don't necessarily want the Games here, but they are. So be ready for it.” Regardless, there will be plenty of grumbles and horn honking as foreigners try to find the rhythm of the city.

The 2012 Olympic Games

Getting around during the Olympics

London Film has a section on their website just for filming around and during the Olympics.

Filming and the Olympics

While there might not be another Jubilee anytime soon, and you might not be in London during the Olympics, there is always something on. Keep track of bank holidays, usually they correspond with an influx of admissions to museums and parks as Londoners of all ages take advantage of their day off of work and school.

Public Holidays in London

Getting Around

Edgware Rd. Station

   As part of the cost of my study abroad experience, included was an Oyster card which covered tube travel in Zones 1 and 2 as well as bus travel in any zone. Oyster cards are something worth having, they save you the trouble of buying a ticket every time you use the tube and the flexibility to get off at any stop.

   Then again, if you plan on remaining in one area and not taking the tube much then there would not be as beneficial. It all depends on your budget and what you plan on doing in London.

Oyster Card

   Taxis are a great way to get around the city as well. But be cautious of the minicabs. Something that we were told is that legit cab drivers will not ask if you want a ride, if a cab driver asks if you need a ride- chances are they are illegal, and you might not make it home.

   Black cabs are all over the city like the big red buses and those drivers go through intense training and will get you where you need to go. The only downside is that you can't book them in advance. If you do want to book a taxi (minicab) service in advance there are many options. One of the largest companies is Addison Lee

London Black Cab

Addison Lee MiniCabs

   GET A MAP. 

 No seriously, even if “you never get lost” London is so big that even Londoners get lost (they use the A to Z book). And I've had many people (Londoners included) ask me for directions. So get a map- trust me, you will still get lost with it. I have a tube map as well as a map of London itself, and both have been remarkably helpful in not only getting around, but also in deciding what I want to do with my days.

   You can pick up a map at the airport or at various grocery stores. And tube maps are available at the stations around the city.

Transport for London

   Walk as much you can- and don't stick to only the main road. Give yourself a landmark on the map and then take a sharp left or right down a side road. I promise you won't be disappointed in London's back streets. Rows and rows of quiet houses, a neighbourhood park filled with neighbours enjoying the sun, or a quiet local market tucked away down a side street. The buildings themselves are reason enough to not stay on the well trodden path.

   There are also some great walking tours to go on. The weekly magazine Time Out is a great way to keep up with “what's on” and they're available at most every newsstand.

Timeout Website

Pictures from the Night Owl

Roses by the Tower of London (edit) 

One of my best shots of the whole trip.  London Bridge through Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge

(edit)

The River Thames

What London film is...

   The novelty of films often draws huge crowds of tourists, one of these major films for the city of London, England is the Harry Potter series. There are dozens of tours pointing out and taking fans through the different areas of the city that were used in the shooting of the films. These include site such as Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station, which now has its own sign and a trolley bolted halfway into the brick platform divider. Thousands of tourists flock to those sights for a chancce to touch where their favourite movie was made.

   London is said to be hard to do on a budget, but it is very possible if you go smartly. And for the aspiring filmmaker it is one of those cities to use, if only for inspiration.

   If you're like me and you write your own stories, there is always a need for good inspiration. London will give you need, and then a little more; from the tube, to the museums, to Londoners themselves, this shy city loves to tell its stories to people who find them.

   London is a wonderful haven for creative people of any sort. From Camden's crazy markets to the reserved streets of Kensington and Westminster, it is hard to go anywhere and not see someone with their own unique style. They bring even more attention to themselves on the weekdays among all the men in business suits that fill the city to the brim.

   The tube is regularly the home for tripod carrying artists, as well as musicians tucked away in the subway tunnels. You can hear the music echoing down the concrete tunnels, musicians working for their way in the world. And that is what London is- a home for those who don't mind being a little different than everyone else.

   I'm going to take you through some of my favourite walks, spots and tips for people who want to take awesome pictures, write stories and especially, make films.

It's a Zoo out There!

If you find yourself with a bit of extra time, I highly recommend the ZSL London Zoo
London Zoo website

   The zoo is full of twisting paths through the trees and exhibits. The exhibits themselves were wrapping adventures with plenty of spaces for guests to see wherever the animals may be inside the enclosure. I had the pleasure of taking a seat in the amphitheatre for the Animals in Action show. Not only were the handlers well knowledgeable and enthusiastic, but the audience had an up close and personal interaction with the birds flying literally right over their heads.

   I had to, on more than one occasion, duck as a vulture, a macaw, and Bob the owl swooped inches away from my head as I tried to get pictures of them and still duck at the last minute.

   I spent more than 3 hours wandering around the zoo, skipping exhibits I didn't like (like the gorillas) and returning to the exhibits I enjoyed (or stumbled on again).  Definitely recommend getting your tickets ahead of time online.  It saves time in line at the main gate, and you get to go in through the special "ordered ahead" entrance... which is actually through the exit.

Hyde Park

All you need is a net,

a ball,

and a few good mates to play with.

   Explore Hyde Park on a weekday afternoon. Sit down and watch a pick-up game of football. Choose a team to root for and sit back to watch some free entertainment. Be careful of where you sit though, the boundary lines tend to be flexible.

   Walk all the way around Hyde Park, don't cheat and bike it. I did this by accident by following the bridle path to what I hoped would be the Hyde Park Stables; I didn't find those, but I did end up where I started at the little food kiosk at Speaker's Corner. As I ate my lunch at a picnic table out front I watched the pigeons.

   The pigeons are great characters, but be protective of your food (feeding the pigeons often carries a fine in places such as Trafalgar's Square). On one of my walks around the city, I encountered a pigeon with a crust of bread around its neck, you could just tell it was a special bird.

   The hardiness of these birds fascinates me. It's fun to watch males chase uninterested females and puff up their feathers to defend their territory. A pigeon with a broken foot will still hobble around, pecking the ground in search of a stray crumb. Their persistence in their unending search for food is something to be marvelled at.

   So watch the pigeons for a little while on a quiet Thursday afternoon in Hyde Park... or wherever your favourite pigeon watching spot may be.

   Londoners love their sun. They love it even more because the city rarely gets any. So when there's a heat wave and the sun emerges- every Londoner comes out with it. There are parks everywhere in London and we were lucky enough to have Hyde Park at the end of our road. Almost every single day, I would pack up a blanket, a book, my camera, and some food to make the journey. It was great to be outside enjoying the sun (or the shade) and just relax.

Who you need to know

   Walking down the streets I came across a Greenpeace protest in front of KFC. Not only were there crowds of people but also a photographer and a videographer taking pictures of the protest and the crowd. “There are no laws to prevent anyone filming on public streets,” however you will need a license if you are obstructing or placing materials on a highway as this is an offence.

   There are always things to keep in mind when going to a shoot and each location has its own particular laws concerning image use. In London, these decisions are largely left up to the borough's governments. And while filming in public is permitted, if there are extended and recognizable shots of private property (such as Buckingham Palace or residential houses) it is recommended that you get the appropriate permission to include that site in a shot.

   The London Film website is a great source to keep handy. The website will be my main source of information throughout this blog, a link to pages referenced will be included within the post.

   The website provides important information, such as individual borough contacts and filming laws to keep in mind. As well, they give suggestions on the most popular filming sites, and how to use the most of the time spent in London.

London Film Website

On and Off

   Give yourself at least one day in which you have no idea where you will end up or what you are going to do. Jump on the tube and get off at a stop that sounds interesting. For me, this made up most of this trip (so I'd have interesting things to put up on here). But one particular day in which the only goal I had was to buy postcards took me to some interesting places.

Trafalgar's Square

   I started out on the tube and got off when the nice automated voice lady said “Alight here for Trafalgar's Square”. So I alighted (which is my new favourite word... besides higgledy-piggidly) but I digress. I came up from the subway (which is for pedestrians, not another form of underground travel) in the middle of the square. After orientating myself I started off in, well in one direction, ended up turning around. 15 minutes later I found myself back in Trafalgar's Square on the steps in front of the National Gallery. As I ate my lunch (pepperoni bread) and enjoyed the sun I became part of London that I enjoyed the most- I became London itself. I watched as tour groups converged on school children as business suits sought seats outside to enjoy the brief sunlight and of course, the omnipresent pigeons desperate for food (or a mate, some were torn).

   As I began to write my postcards the drizzle that had been undecided finally made a decision and turned into big drops of rain. I could have gone in the National Gallery behind me, but instead I fought my way back to the underground as umbrellas grew like flowers in the square. I only went one stop before I re-emerged in Leicester Square. I had no idea where to go, but looking to the left I spied two bookstores across the street tucked in between the tourist trap stores. Knowing the rain was following me (and being the book lover I am) I slipped inside.

   Stacks of books haphazardly spilled out of boxes and off the shelves, barely staying within their own categories. Old leather bounds found themselves neighbours to last years best selling hard cover novel. Make sure you hit up the basements of the bookstores, that is where the character lurks, tucked away in a corner, their nose already halfway through a book they randomly pulled off the shelf. Plus, they are a great source for cheap book on every topic, from photography to war time heroes, to just a casual read.

   There was no time limit on the day, no time that I had to be somewhere by or meet anyone. I could choose to come and go, get on and off the tube as I wished. It was a great freedom, as well as a great way to actually get to know the lady London.