I know we're going OT, but have you seen any of my mentions of Collioure artist Barry Blend? I'm going to be interviewing him while we're out there later this month.

Reminds me of Beryl Cook's paintings but I bet his work would be really well suited to stained glass too.

Absolutely! I've described his work as a cross between pop art and stained glass. I'm rather thrilled tht he's so excited about doing an interview. Looking forward to it!

I was a user of both phone and map whilst in London for work. I started off with the map to get my general direction but then used the phone to get directions to and from my locations. The system is an easy one to understand but to someone not familiar with it then it can seem VERY daunting.

It just takes time to get used to like everything else, whichever method is easiest for each individual, dont hate them for using their devices!

Staying at Elstree on Wembley weekend.

Obv need to get to Wembley but also into central london for a touch of sight seeing on the sat am

Do we just get a daily travel card each (zones 1-6) and can that be used on all trains/tubes/buses.

2 adults, 2 x 12 year olds and 1 x 8 year old


cheers

Quote ="Hutchie"Staying at Elstree on Wembley weekend. Obv need to get to Wembley but also into central london for a touch of sight seeing on the sat am Do we just get a daily travel card each (zones 1-6) and can that be used on all trains/tubes/buses. 2 adults, 2 x 12 year olds and 1 x 8 year old cheers'" Yep, you just need to buy a travelcard, you can buy a one day card you don't need Oyster one the one day. Prices here www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

Quote ="Hutchie"Staying at Elstree on Wembley weekend. Obv need to get to Wembley but also into central london for a touch of sight seeing on the sat am Do we just get a daily travel card each (zones 1-6) and can that be used on all trains/tubes/buses. 2 adults, 2 x 12 year olds and 1 x 8 year old cheers'" Yep, you just need to buy a travelcard, you can buy a one day card you don't need Oyster one the one day. Prices here www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

Get a visitors travel card, look on the tfl website.

You've not left yourself enough time to get a travel card for the kids so you'll have to get a paper travel card for the kids, it does allow unlimited travel for the duration you get it for.

Children aged under 11 can travel free on buses and trams at any time. They can also travel free on Tube, DLR and London Overground services at any time as long as they are accompanied by an adult using a valid Visitor Oyster card or ticket. Children aged under 5 travel free on the Emirates Air Line when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Children aged 5 to 15 pay child rate fares on the Emirates Air Line.

A maximum of four children under 11 can travel free with an adult who has a valid Visitor Oyster card or ticket on Tube, DLR and London Overground services.

If you’re using a Visitor Oyster card, you must touch in and touch out as normal but ask a member of staff to let your group through the side gate.

5-10 year olds pay fares on most National Rail services. They can get a 5-10 Oyster photocard to pay as they go at child rate which is cheaper than paying cash

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Pay child fares on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overeground, National Rail and the Emirates Air Line. Children aged 11 to 15 years can get an 11-15 Oyster photocard to travel free on buses and trams and at the child pay as you go rate on Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services. If you have not allowed a minimum of 4 weeks to apply, buy a child rate paper Travelcard instead

Cheers, looked at the travelcard/oyster but it costs £10 ??

Young uns under 10 so travles free but how does that work out on Tubes getting through the turnstiles, prob just best to pay the extra 3.40 for her

If you have a pass, to get the kids through just show the pass to the station assistant, he'll open the gate for you and through you go, it's as easy as that.

f you're staying in one of the hotels just off the A1 then you're actually in Borehamwood, yet the hotels call the area Elstree because of the studios and snobbishness. Anyhow, catch a 107 or 292 from your hotel to Elstree & Borehamwood station (107 showing Edgeware, 292 showing Borehamwood) then southbound to Kings Cross St Pancras, you can get off there but me personally, i would get off at West Hampstead then get the Jubilee line. This way you can get Jubilee northbound to [Wembley Park or southbound to either [Baker St for say Madam Tusards, or [Bond St to go shopping on Oxford St or [Green Park to see Buckingham Palace, or [Charing Cross for Trafalgar Sq.

I do it with one finger.

..

Ibis, just round corner from the Sainsburys RDC

Yes you're in Borehamwood, it's nextdoor to the gym i go, so if you want an early morning swim you can walk over, Literally 30 seconds walk.
The station, if you want to walk is about 15 minutes away, turn right outside the front entrance, up to Borehamwood centre, through to the opposite end.
You have the usual fast food places, KFC, McD's, Nando's couple of independents. There's practically no nightlife there which i suppose is good if you have kids. There's a crazy golf place for the kids just next to the A1 for a bit of entertainment.

With good reason! Borehamwood can be dog rough. I recall when Titan used to play kids football and we'd go there for an away match. The talk on the touchline was about the shooting the night before. Got the impression that half the parents were involved!

It's no rougher than Widnes/Wigan/Warrington

Not that that is a glowing endorsement of the area, yet all the places surrounding it are really nice (Elstree, Shenley, Barnet, Mill Hill)

Radlett is upmarket.

Radlett's ok, just a small street and a station, and full of those horrible forward facing speed cameras

Im an Hull lad, i think i'll survive

Will you have time to look round the locality over the weekend? If so, you probably ought to visit St Albans - cathedral, surrounding park, lots of pubs. If you heading back up the M1 you could drive up from St Albans to Harpenden for a walk round the Common and Rothamsted. In fact the farmer's market will be on on Sunday 25th on the High Street. In other directions there's Hatfield House and then there's the dreaded Harry Potter Tour if you have kids with you (expensive though).

If you don't have kids St Albans is great for a Saturday night out.

£5.50 to go one stop (Kingsbury to Wembley) on the Jubilee line? Frig that Boris, I think I'll walk ta

catch the bus, 79, 204

I went to London at the weekend and found the bus much more enjoyable to use than the tube, loads more to see as you pass through the streets.

I think I've come a cropper on the Congestion charge though, I thought they would send you a bill if you went through the charging zone I didn't know you had to pre-pay or pay the day later. My fault for not checking before I went and I'll just have to wait to see if I get a fine through the post.

You will, on that you can be sure.

Why not phone them up, speak in a way that leaves them in no doubt that you are a pig-[is[/ihit thick northerner and it was your first time in that there Lunnon, you never know, they might give you some leeway