London was built for walking. So the best way and the cheapest way to explore London is by foot!
After 3 weeks, traveling around UK, South of France, Amsterdam and Stockholm, I went back to London for my flight back to Dubai. I stayed for another 4 days, but this time, I am not with Laurie anymore. He had to go back to Dubai and I just crashed at my friend’s apartment (Jon) at Old Street.
During those 4 days, I just planned to rest as this was the last leg of my month-long holiday. But I just can’t get enough of London! I will rest in the morning, then in the afternoon, I joined several guided walks, and I’m really glad I did it. I have to do it on a guided walk because I can’t afford to get lost (expensive!) and can’t be more adventurous as I am alone!
The guided walks I’ve joined were:
BEATLES WALK
I went with London Walks for this walk. They have the best price and the guides were really cool! We went to film locations of A Hard Day’s Night and Help, where 2 Beatles got married, apartment of John and Yoko, house of Paul McCartney where they wrote the song I Want To Hold Your Hand and the Apple offices, where they played the famous “Rooftop Session”. And lastly, we went to St.John’s Wood to cross the world famous Abbey Road!
As I was alone, it’s difficult to take “selfie” shots crossing the road, so I had to ask fellow tourists to take my photo. I promise you, you will have hundreds of shots before you can have the shot that you wanted hahaha! Apart from not all people take good photographs like you (eherm lol!) the amount of tourists trying to cross the same time as you on different directions is just annoying haha! Then of course, the annoyed motorists who kept on stopping every time you step on the pedestrian lane (of course they will!). It’s all a matter of timing, but forgive me, I had to go back the next day, very early in the morning to have the shot below 😀
At Abbey Road Studio, they paint these vandalised walls yearly, but tourist kept on filling it up over and over!
HARRY POTTER WALK
As the schedule of London Walks won’t fit mine, I decided to go with Muggle Tours for this walk. I am fortunate that our group were all fanatics so it was a good interaction with everyone, our guide said that this is her first knowledgeable group ever haha! I’m not one of them though hihi.
We went to a lot of film locations of HP but of course it looks different without the graphics enhancement, so I don’t remember them anymore lol. We also went to the inspiration of Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley. We also saw the visitors’ entrance to the Ministry of Magic and the underground station used to go to Ministry of Magic and the house of Sirius Black. Lastly, our guide just taught us how to go to Platform 9 3/4 going to Hogwarts Express, which is at King’s Cross Station, it’s a little bit too touristy though because it is now maintained by a HP souvenir shop just beside the platform. Nevertheless, I have this shot I am so happy to have haha!
Just to share, when I went to Gloucester Cathedral at Gloucestershire, I saw the hallway they always use for Hogwarts’ hallways. The inspiration of the Hogwarts’ Dining Hall is the main hall of Gloucester Cathedral.
Then when I went to Edinburgh, I went in the same coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote the HP series, behind the coffee shop is a building that inspired the look of Hogwarts!
ROCK & ROLL WALK
I went again with London Walks for this walk. It’s a fact that “big bucks may well be made in Hollywood – but rock ‘n’ roll reputations are made here in London”. On this walk, I’ve seen the first recording studios and first bars of the first gigs of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Blur, Oasis, etc. we weren’t just shown the locations but we were told some fascinating stories behind it, in which you read when you click the to some photos below.
It’s just too bad that I was enjoying listening that much that I forgot to take photos to some locations! Here are some of the photos I managed to take whilst enjoying our walk 😉
