Smile of the day - What is yours?

[maviczap]

Criox de Fer completed

Now im tired

[Littlepeahead]

Sitting in Trafalgar Square in the sunshine today listening to a string quartet of buskers while red buses and police cars with their sirens on roared by. Before visiting St Martin's in the Fields church and the National Portrait Gallery free of charge. London, I love it.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Amadeus

I would love to see behind the scenes at St Pancras but I doubt they will ever do such a thing. Probably worthy of a strike if that was suggested.

Funny you should say that. I am booked on the St Pancras station tour on the Saturday followed by the St Pancras Chambers tour...

[littleoldman2]

Originally Posted by maviczap

Criox de Fer completed

Now im tired

I'll bet you are. Cyclists are all MAD

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

Funny you should say that. I am booked on the St Pancras station tour on the Saturday followed by the St Pancras Chambers tour...

As part of the same thing? Pictures of everything please and a full review. Are you going to stay in the St Pancras hotel? Probably a bit excessive from where you are but it is very nice indeed, if a little pricy!

Where is the "jealous" emoticon...

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Amadeus

As part of the same thing? Pictures of everything please and a full review. Are you going to stay in the St Pancras hotel? Probably a bit excessive from where you are but it is very nice indeed, if a little pricy!

Where is the "jealous" emoticon...

The two St P events are separate and both are pre-book only. By fluke I managed to get slots almost together. Looked into staying over (not at the St P hotel as I know that's v expensive ) but I need to be home on Saturday evening so it's not an option unfortunately. I will of course take plenty of pics.

My tip for next year if any of you are interested is pre-order the guide and get your requests in for the bookable events as soon as they open. Last year I left it a bit late and missed out but there are plenty of places you just turn up for.

[Littlepeahead]

I stayed at St Pancras hotel a couple of years ago and wasn't that impressed. The foyer was beautiful but get past that and it was just another Marriott but with smaller than average rooms. Like all Marriotts the beds were really comfy, though my sleep was somewhat spoilt but the extremely drunk cricketer snoring loudly in the other bed and I didn't actually get to bed until 4am!

I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour of HMS Ocean when it was at Greenwich for the Olympics, that was special. Unfortunately I'm always working open house weekend.

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

The two St P events are separate and both are pre-book only. By fluke I managed to get slots almost together.

Sorry, my question was rather ambiguous. I meant to ask whether your trips were part of Open House day. Is it the hotel you're seeing or the station? My parents did the hotel tour and said it was wonderful.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Amadeus

Sorry, my question was rather ambiguous. I meant to ask whether your trips were part of Open House day. Is it the hotel you're seeing or the station? My parents did the hotel tour and said it was wonderful.

Both are part of Open House. Some of the attractions are available all year as part of their own tour programme but are often chargeable. Open House tours are free and you often get to see extra areas or as I've said above places not normally available. One great place I went to last year was the Roman bathouse in Broadgate, part of the Museum of London. They don't have the cash to open it to the public so it sits hidden away under the modern building built around it and is only open for events like this.

From the online guide:

St Pancras Chambers and Clock Tower

The Forecourt, St Pancras Station, Euston Road, NW1 2AR, London, England
Former Midland Grand Hotel, now St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and Chambers apartments. Includes hotel lobby and clock tower.


St Pancras International

Meet at special assistance meeting point (next to Starbucks) Euston Road, N1C 4QP, London, England
A unique Grade I listed Victorian railway station completed in 1868, with the original station hotel following in 1873. After a 800 million transformation, St Pancras International, home of HS1, has redefined railway stations for the 21st Century and is a destination in its own right. The tour will include an architectural history of the iconic station.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Littlepeahead

I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour of HMS Ocean when it was at Greenwich for the Olympics, that was special. Unfortunately I'm always working open house weekend.

Sounds like an interesting place/ship/you-know-what-I-mean to get a tour of

What are you always doing on that weekend then? I've not seen Lords pop up in the guide before or have I missed it?