Toad's Coming to London

[Toadtorrent]

I'm taking the family on vacation across the pond for a couple weeks starting the end of May.

Any suggestions on where to sneak out for a little horin' (horological whoring)?

[OSRep]

Aaaaaaaaaah welcome to our part of the world Toad! If youre in central London then definitely go to Selfridges, Harrods......and New Bond Street (full of watch stores)

Oh and try to go to Windsor Castle......

[TeeJay]

And be sure to take the family for an afternoon picnic in Hyde Park (Bayswater Road entrance is nicer than some of the other areas)

[Member X]

Jura is in Mayfair and just round the corner from Saville Row if you fancy some bespoke clothes shopping

There's a couple more dedicated watch stores but I can't think of their names!

[Mickey Padge]

You could always visit the the world renown Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, and maybe other places like Hampton court palace, if that is your kind of thing. Both not far from central London and well worth a visit on a sunny summers day, both close to where I live in Richmond

As for watches, you will be spoilt for choice in central London shopping wise

[Member X]

Oh, touristy though it is, do the London Eye and take a map up with you with landmarks on it - you'll be amazed how small it really is when you're up there!

Tower 42, the restaurant at the top of the natwest tower on Bishopsgate might also be good for that sort of thing!

Bring a camera with lots of memory, there's loads to take pictures of!

[baglc1]

Thearter, meal and Lion King

[lufcmattylad]

+1 for the watch room in Harrods

also, if you fancy the London eye, book it in advance on the web

[Member X]

Oh, I forgot!

You need to take a trip to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich:

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/visit/

They have loads on historical timekeeping:

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/index.cfm/category/timekeeping

including the very first clocks built to solve the Longitude problem!

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/search/listResults.cfm?Name=Marine%20timekeeper&SortBy=title

They do free guided tours at certain times of the day:

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/support-us/guided-tours

but the links on the page aren't working for me so it might be an idea to email them for a timetable for the day(s) you are around

I did it earlier this year - fascinating stuff and really brings it home about how accurate timekeeping (and therefore watches) is vital!

[cornerstone]

I don't know how old the kids are but I think the (free) British Museum in Russell Square is unmissable. Treasures from antiquity around the world....nobody stole them quite as well as Britain.

If they're young kids very nearby there's a reward for suffering the museum. It's called Coram's Fields and it's a brilliant public playground build on some very expensive land! See www.coramsfields.org

And for suffering the playground, for Dad, just across the road there's a great old London pub called The Lamb, which seems to accommodate children.

[Darius]

Welcome to London mate. You picked a good time the weather is picking up. For sure Selfridges and Harrods for watches. Hyde Park and Portobello road on a Saturday for some vintage watch action. Enjoy yourself.

[Marky1012]

Tower of London and Tower Bridge is also a must. You might want to take a boat trip down the Thames - the pilots give a running commentary which is good value. My family took a duck bus that toured around parts of London and then went onto the river. Dead cool!

[spooky driver]

pity the football season is over you could have seen the orient

http://www.leytonorient.com/page/Home/0,,10439,00.html

[jkerouac]

The observatory at Greenwich has some fantastic watch history and that, plus the maritime museum, would be great for the whole family. My brother and I took the cruise to Greenwich that someone else mentioned and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The British Museum, which someone already mentioned, has some a room or so of wonderful historic timepieces. The British Museum is outrageously fantastic.

I didn't visit the watch department at Harrods (slapping my head for the omission), but the food court is enormous and sinful (also, be sure to check out the Lady Diana-Dodi Fayed shrine).

Near Harrods (sorry, I don't remember the name or address but perhaps someone else can fill this in) there is a fantastic covered arcade with a large number of used watch dealers (I don

[offshore]

Even tho' its summer...pack a raincoat and brolly!

O/S

[Slartibartfast]

If the kids are up to it go on a guided walking tour of central London.

There are loads to choose from, and they will show you the real, hidden London.

The guides are usually 'resting' actors, who also know their subject really well.

A very entertaining 2 hours or so, for not much dosh.

Have a look at the London Walks website

As for watch heaven, as many others have said before, you cannot beat the watch room at Harrods.

(BTW avoid Oxford Street like the plague)