Hi Ralph! I’m taking a trip to the UK in a few weeks, and I wonder what places in London and Manchester you would recommend visiting? All my family in the UK are much older and recommend a lot of activities that have no interest to me (i.e. anything that involves the royals or glorifying the British monarchy or British imperialism). Any suggestions?
Hi anon,
Thanks for getting in touch - I hope you have a fantastic time. I’ve only ever been a tourist in these cities - so my advice is a bit patchy
My number one recommendation for London is buying Rebel Footprints by David Rosenberg and use his walks as the basis for a bit of exploring. London is a great city for wandering around in - because neighbourhoods are all on top of each other. I love using radical walking tours as the spine for exploring a city. And in London there’s always a lots happening - or just a nice park to sit in. (You could also go on his tours - so you get the full experience).
I spent a day in London last weekend based on the last walk which starts at Whitechapel. I went into Whitechapel Art Gallery (which had a great exhibtion about queer venues) and Freedom books (an anarchist book shop) before I started and had a great time. When I stopped outside a Mosque that used to be a Synagogue and a headquarters for the Communist Party - this guy told me that I should come on the last Saturday of the month because they do tours to the public. He told me they have a million bees in the Mosque - so if you are in London on the last Saturday of the month I recommend doing all the things I did and doing the Mosque tour too. (I also went to Gay’s the Word - which is just south of Euston - which is relevant to me because that’s how I get into London - but is well worth visiting if you’re in the area).
If you can’t afford the book - then you can get some of the same experience looking for murals - and the London Mural Preservation Society website gives you lots of locations. And if you’re not interested in seeing places where the Communist Party headquarters used to be - you can use the same principle to whatever interests you. Find a few interesting places from google - and then go from one to another and see what you like on the way.
Slightly more normally touristy - I really like the Tate Modern (bonus you get to see where bits of the One Thing video was filmed) - it’s an amazing space and coming from NZ it’s always a bit of a shock to discover that a piece of art is real. The Globe is also a lot of fun - and they do some really interesting things. I also really love the British Library - it has this room where they have their most impressive books and it’s really impressive.
You can get cheap tickets for the theatre a couple of different ways: entering lotteries, going for the tickets they release on the day or at hte half price ticket booth - @42mins won tickets to Hamilton, which was very clever of her. If you’re interested in theatre - don’t just look at the West End - I saw an amazing play at the Alameida theatre (and wanted to go to another play there recently, but it was booked out).
There’s always a shit tonne on in London - more in summer, it can be intimidating. But a little bit of googling (and Time Out - which is a pretty good starting point) and you’ll find things that interest you.
Finally - if you’re not going in rush hour and you’re not in a hurry - I actually really like travelling around London in a bus. They’re incredibly cheap and you can go a really long way and you actually get to see the city.
Manchester is a great city that I absolutely love (although if you’re going to be in Manchester I will point out that Liverpool is just a train ride away and nothing can really compare with the sight of the Sun not for sale). Here’s a few things that I would recommend:
The People’s History Museum and hte Working Class Movement Library (actually in Salford - and it’s important to recognise that) - both have lots of material about Peterloo at the moment - and are great introductions to the past. They also both run really interesting events so see what’s on while you’re there.
The Northern Quarter - it’s got lots of cafes and independent shops and is great just to wander round for a bit. Also you can go to the fish and chip shop that Nick and Harry went to (42 Tib St).
Canal St and Sackville Gardens - Queer history! I love spending time in Sackville Gardens in particular.
There’s an independent theatre called Home that is worth checking out if you like interesting movies.
Niamos is an abandoned theatre in Hulme that has been squatted by people. It’s a bit hippy for me in places, but I went to a great exhibition there. And touring the old theatre bit is really amazing. I think it’s open to visitors all the time, but can’t guarantee it. There’s also a Community Garden Centre right near by that looked cool for anyone who was more engaged in nature than I am.
My main advice isn’t really any particular thing - but just to trust in your own interest and explore. Particularly because it sounds like you’ll be travelling alone so can just do whatever you want. Whatever you’re interested in, food, music, shopping, art, parks, museums - google a few places that sound interesting go see them and keep your eyes open on your way - go down alleys that look interesting - pop into places that are open just to see what they’re like.
