Here is part 1 of a double episode about London 🇬🇧 and great things you can see and do there 🎡. Listen to my friends and family describing their favourite things to do in the city 🍻, get some travel tips 🏙️, get a mini history lesson 🏛️, and learn some vocabulary in the process.
This page contains (below) some very useful things (you’re welcome). Including:
- A PDF transcript
- The video of my Walk & Talk in London
- A summary of the places and recommendations from this episode
- A vocabulary list from the episode
1. PDF with transcript, list of London travel tips & vocabulary list👇
2. Watch my Walk & Talk video in London 👇
3. A Summary of the Recommendations from the Episode (Part 1) 👇
Here you will find a summary of the places and recommendations from this audio episode (Part 1).
🏙️ Walk and Talk Route (Luke’s YouTube Video Tour)
- South Bank walk – scenic route along the River Thames
- London Eye – iconic giant wheel
- Big Ben & Houses of Parliament – historic landmarks
- Whitehall & Downing Street – political heart of the UK
- Horse Guards Parade – ceremonial military area
- The Mall & Buckingham Palace – royal route and residence
- Trafalgar Square – iconic public square
- Covent Garden – shopping, street performances
- Leicester Square – film and theatre hub
- Piccadilly Circus – neon lights and atmosphere
- Sherlock Holmes statue (Baker Street) – literary sightseeing
🎨 Amber Minogue
- National Portrait Gallery – classic British portraiture
- National Gallery – major European art, next door
- Wallace Collection – smaller gallery featuring The Swing by Fragonard
- Hampstead Heath – great for a peaceful walk in nature
- Brick Lane – best curry in town
- Angel (The Bill Murray Comedy Club) – stand-up comedy night
🍻 Martin
- City of York Pub (Holborn) – pub with roots from 1430
- Seven Stars Pub (behind the law courts) – survived the Great Fire of London
- Old Cheshire Cheese Pub – dark wood, cellars, and historical nooks
- Holborn Area – for old pubs and side-street exploring
- Inns of Court (near Chancery Lane) – fascinating, tucked-away legal history
👧 Luke’s Daughter (Child 1)
- Borough Market – amazing food stalls (especially sausage rolls)
- Shoreditch Art Hotel – stylish family hotel with a splash-friendly indoor pool
🎭 James Simpson
- Walk from Waterloo Station to South Bank – scenic and vibrant
- National Theatre – top venue for live drama
- Royal Festival Hall – great for classical concerts
- Waterloo Bridge – beautiful panoramic views (Big Ben, St. Paul’s, London Eye)
- Trafalgar Square – central landmark
- Covent Garden – high-level street performers (buskers)
- Pubs – especially for fish & chips and live music/comedy
🎨 Aaron
- Tate Britain (Pimlico) – traditional British art
- Clore Gallery – features works by J.M.W. Turner
- Rowing on the Serpentine (Hyde Park) – romantic and relaxing
- Boat trip on the Thames – great views, fun for parties or sightseeing
🍺 Moz (Murder Mile Podcast)
- Coach & Horses Pub (Soho) – authentic old boozer with sticky floors and history
- London Pubs in General – each one unique, steeped in character and tradition
- Pub Navigation Tip – “navigate by pubs” instead of street names!
🚣 Luke – Canal & Hidden London Recommendations
- Little Venice – peaceful canal basin with narrowboats and cafes
- Regent’s Canal (via Regent’s Park) – walk/cycle past the zoo and elegant homes
- Camden Lock / Camden Market – food, shops, live music, and bustling atmosphere
- Granary Square (King’s Cross) – modern redevelopment, fountains, restaurants
🎭 Luke’s Mum
- National Portrait Gallery – just reopened after refurbishment
- National Theatre – excellent productions
- Royal Court Theatre (Sloane Square) – cutting-edge theatre
- Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – historical open-air venue, great experience
4. 📚 Vocabulary from “Our Favourite Things to Do in London (Part 1)”
Here is a selection of vocabulary which I explained during the episode.
pop (in / next door / to)
Definition: To go somewhere briefly or quickly.
Example: Amber – “I couldn’t resist popping next door to the National Gallery.”
take the pressure off
Definition: To reduce the feeling of obligation or stress.
Example: Martin – “It takes the pressure off thinking you have to spend a decent amount of time if you’ve paid for a ticket.”
tucked away
Definition: Located in a quiet or hidden place.
Example: Martin – “The Seven Stars pub is tucked away down a little street.”
narrow
Definition: Not wide.
Example: Martin – “An extremely narrow, rickety mediaeval staircase.”
rickety
Definition: Poorly made and likely to collapse.
Example: Martin – “An extremely narrow, rickety mediaeval staircase.”
nooks and crannies
Definition: Small, hidden or remote parts or corners.
Example: Martin – “Lots of dark wood, little nooks and crannies.”
cellar
Definition: A room below ground level, often used for storage.
Example: Martin – “Two floors of cellar where the beer barrels used to be kept.”
busker
Definition: A person who performs music or other entertainment in the street for money.
Example: James Simpson – “See some buskers, like a live show that’s free.”
busking
Definition: Performing in public places for money.
Example: Luke – “Busking is the act of performing in the street.”
mushy peas
Definition: Cooked peas that are mashed into a soft consistency.
Example: Luke – “A plate of fish and chips with a little bowl of mushy peas.”
rowing boat
Definition: A small boat propelled with oars.
Example: Aaron – “We went on a rowing boat on the Serpentine.”
barely
Definition: Only just; almost not.
Example: Moz – “Tiny doors that you can barely get through.”
sticky
Definition: Having a surface that things stick to.
Example: Moz – “The floor is sticky because it’s had like hundreds of years of beer on it.”
tar
Definition: A thick, dark substance found in cigarette smoke.
Example: Moz – “The ceiling is thick with tar from 300 years of smoking.”
boozer
Definition: (British slang) A pub.
Example: Moz – “They sit in their regular seat. It’s their boozer.”
brewery
Definition: A place where beer is made.
Example: Luke – “Fuller’s, one of the big brewing brands.”
take over
Definition: To assume control of something.
Example: Luke – “Fuller’s had taken over the pub.”
gutted
Definition: Very disappointed.
Example: Moz – “We were absolutely gutted.”
incensed
Definition: Very angry.
Example: Moz – “We were incensed.”
gastropub
Definition: A pub that serves high-quality food.
Example: Moz – “They’ll turn it into a gastropub.”
poncy
Definition: Pretentious or affected.
Example: Moz – “Full of poncy, pretentious food.
cash register / till
Definition: A machine for recording sales and holding money.
Example: Moz – “They’d put in a proper cash register.”
cubicle
Definition: A small enclosed space, typically for a toilet.
Example: Luke – “Cubicles which are the little places with doors.”
urinal
Definition: A toilet fixture used by men to urinate.
Example: Luke – “Urinals, things on the wall… you can stand at.”
refurbished
Definition: Renovated and redecorated.
Example: Mum – “They recently reopened after a refurbishment.”
particularly
Definition: Especially.
Example: Mum – “Having particularly enjoyed productions at the National Theatre.”thatched roof
Definition: A roof made with straw or reeds.
Example: Luke – “The thatched roof caught fire.”
Image by liushuquan from Pixabay
