London

Culture

Can we put the Millennium Dome under the category of Culture? Possibly - if by "culture" you mean "tremendous waste of taxpayer's money for a folly of gargantuan proportions". OK - so the Dome has had its knockers. And it's obvious to see why, since it has been losing money since before it was built, and no-one wants to go there, and once you do get there, it's a bit crapp really. But, having said that, fans of architecture will love it, the building itself is stunning and, if they keep it in good nick, it'll become as much as landmark of London as the Eiffel Tower is of Paris.

The Dome aside, there was some quality spending by the government for the millennium - I'm speaking, of course, of the huge Ferris wheel, or as it's officially called the "BA London (Third) Eye". Nowhere, except possibly Primrose Hill or the top of St Paul's Cathedral, can you get such great views of London. It not cheap (I think it's over a tenner for a 30 minute ride), but it is worth doing if you can stand the queues in the summer. In fact, the wheel has made enough money already to cover it's costs, and it brings in over £200,000 worth of cash per day.

As far as art galleries go, there are loads to pick from in London. From the famous Tate, on the Embankment near Pimlico, to the National Portrait Gallery near Trafalgar Square (you know, the one with the lions and Nelson's Column and all the bloody flying rats on), there is lots of top quality and very expensive art to feast your eyes upon. In addition, if you really like your art, then you can go to the Victoria and Albert, or to the new Tate Modern.

Museum-wise, there are more than enough to get your fill. Of course you have the top-notch Planetarium near Baker Street, and if you get bored of looking at celestial stars, then you can grab a look at some wax ones (good link I think) at Madame Tussaud's next door. If you like dinosaurs and other things like that, then go to the Natural History Museum off Cromwell Road which is absolutely brilliant, or to the War Museum (I forget it's actual name) on Trafalgar Square. There are loads more museums as well, dotted around town for all you people who have free time (most students I think).

If you like the theatre, then it goes without saying that the West End is the best place to go in the world other than Broadway. You got all your shows like Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, The Lion King and all the rest, which have cheap seats for the poor student. And, you've got all the best plays, where you can see Nicole Kidman and Nicole from the Renault ads get their kit off (if that's your scene), or some top quality acting from lots of other class actors.

Without a doubt, though, the best place to catch a play in the summer is the old Shakespeare's Globe theatre on the South bank near Southwark Bridge. The theatre itself is stunning and the plays are performed as they were meant to be, with crowd participation and some top class heroic, comedic or tragic acting. Definitely worth a visit.

Lovely buildings are in abundance in the ol' London town. Besides the obvious tourist haunts like Westminster Cathedral and St. Paul's, there are loads of undiscovered or under-appreciated places to hang out. If you're in the City, obviously check out Mansion House and Bank, and just off Cheapside you've got the old Bow church, where the fabled Bow Bells are housed. The story goes, for all you non-Londoners, that if you were born within earshot of the Bow Bells, then that makes you a kosher East-Ender.

My favourite looking place is St Pancras Station, a fantastic building, but if you prefer more modern stuff, the MI5 building on the South Side is well cool and featured in the last Bond movie. Canary Wharf is there as well for all you modern architecture buffs - it's mighty impressive. The Albert Hall is worth a look too.

Apparently, one of the best tourist walks you can do is the Jack the Ripper tour round the old East End of London. You go through little, darkly lit, side streets in Whitehall and the City and a guide shows you round all the places where Jack killed each prostitute, and gets your skin crawling. Highly recommended, but not for the faint-hearted.