PLANNING to stay on an IKEA sofa in the tiny flat rented by a London mate? Here are six things they definitely won’t be going to during your visit.
The London Eye
With its majestic views of London’s iconic skyline, Big Ben and the Thames, there’s no way your poncey mate will be up for this. Although in fairness 25 quid to spend 30 minutes in a glass ball slowly filling up with other people’s farts is probably a stretch for their ‘young professional’ salary. You’ll have more chance of getting them to go on a historically bollocks Ripper Walk, which they’ll do ironically to sneer at the tourists.
Madame Tussauds
Your mate will turn their nose up at queuing for an hour among thousands of French school children to go and see some waxworks of Beyonce and The Rock. London is full of actual celebrities, they’ll remind you. So who have they seen during their five expensive years living there? Er… Sue Barker buying a sandwich in Pret and Steve Punt looking a bit confused on the Circle Line. Let’s hope they’d got their autograph book.
Chinatown
After rolling their eyes, your friend will explain Chinatown is where all the tourists go and it’s impossible to know which restaurants are any good. For f**k’s sake don’t suggest googling it because that would diminish their insider’s knowledge of London. So instead of authentic dim sum and crispy duck, they make you spend £27 for whatever the f**k a ‘smashburger’ is in a pop-up based in a draughty Peckham warehouse. Bon appetit.
The West End
One of the draws of London is the wealth of entertainment at your fingertips. Which your friend is way too cool to enjoy. The West End is for the mouth-breathers and you won’t be shopping on Oxford Street as it’s ‘all US candy shops now‘. And forget seeing Mrs Doubtfire: The Musical. You’re off to a tiny theatre in Camden which isn’t even licensed, although after an hour and a half of earnest hip hop dance-poetry-fusion you need a drink more than you’ve ever done in your life.
Buckingham Palace
This is off the list because your mate visited it on their first week in the city. It might be historically significant, but it’s a bit of a schlep from Victoria Station and crawling with tourists taking bad selfies. Plus they queued to see Liz lying in state, so your friend has ‘completed’ the monarchy. They might get out of it with some vague anti-royal sentiments, which will magically be forgotten if they ever get the chance to see lovely Kate in a big carriage.
M&M World
Actually they might have a point here. It is absolutely f**king dreadful.
