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As we all knew, expectations and exagerations from the first visit tend to cloud judgement and there was no way for this trip to meet such high expectations.
Still... it did. Most of my check-list in terms of to-go was met, and I only didn't do more because I KO'ed my legs early on the first day (trying to walk more than I should instead of using public transport as much as possible). On the second day I had to throw the towel at 16h30...
Still, positive trip, finally British fry-up, some pubs, saw Freddie Mercury's homes, Natural History Museum, Camden Town market, Soho, London Bridge, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, etc
Some nice IPAs too.
Cheera
I've worked all over the country for years now and can honestly say that London is very different to the rest of the UK. I feel like I'm on holiday when I go there in a 'nice to see something different' kinda way
Would I like to live there ? Nope, too busy and people tend to put their heads down and get on with their lives too much for me, but I do like that it's different.
To the OP, I would say if you come to England again then try and travel out of London to the Shires and to some hidden gems
1. Shrewsbury - looking for Harry Potter pubs and streets and a Dickensian feel then look no further. Walk out of the railway station and you'll see a superb castle on your left, walk a 100 yards and you'll find the school (now a library) where Charles Darwin was educated. Cobbled streets, tudor buildings galore, one of the finest parks in the whole country and the meandering River Severn running through it. The pace is much slower, the people tend to talk about local stuff rather than national stuff and whilst the people are a little snobby they're generally a friendly bunch. There are pubs all over the place, most of them hidden, from the main street, so you have to go and find them.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186368-d5279920-Reviews-The_Nags_Head-Shrewsbury_Shropshire_England.html#REVIEWS
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186368-d3370374-Reviews-Loggerheads-Shrewsbury_Shropshire_England.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=53138458
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186368-d604244-Reviews-The_Old_Post_Office-Shrewsbury_Shropshire_England.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186368-d2633648-Reviews-Three_Fishes-Shrewsbury_Shropshire_England.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=175407671
2. Chester - highly original Roman town. A day at the races there is a must in the summer.
3. York - the only Cathedral I've ever been in where I've had a 'wow' moment. Another Roman town on a bigger scale to Chester.
4. Ironbridge (Telford) - whilst in Shrewsbury a trip to the worlds first iron bridge in Telford is a must as is a visit to the museums and the Blists Hill Victorian Town.
https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlbmjsOiJ3wIVL7ftCh0q0w2SEAAYASAAEgKmzPD_BwE
5. Bridgnorth - whilst in Shropshire, this small town is a must. You will definitely get a feel of 'small town' English life here. Split into two, High Town and Low Town, the two are connected by the cliff top railway and Bridgnorth is also the end (or start) point for the Bridgnorth-Kidderminster Severn Valley steam railway
http://www.bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk/
https://www.svr.co.uk/Default.aspx
Back in '82 The OPO used to have a small bar/lounge with a restaurant out the back that nobody ever went in. Some time in the '80's it all got knocked into one. It survived the smoking ban era because people could sit outside in the cobbled courtyard and is still popular today with plenty of live bands and a comedy club.
Back in '82 I think an old friend of mine ran it - Bob 'Wobbly Bob' Veysey - who has sadly died, but was certainly running it in 1983 when I first started drinking in town at 16!
Is there a Harry Potter connection, because she is a massive fan (as am I), and we have seen quite a few of the sites used in the films? If she could tick a few more off whilst she is down that way it will please her no end!
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186368-d12853347-Reviews-Labyrinth_brings_Harry_Potter_To_Shrewsbury-Shrewsbury_Shropshire_England.html
The town was used in the 1984 edition of 'A Christmas Carol' starring George C Scott and Edward Woodward, where many scenes were filmed in and around the town centre. In the graveyard of St.Chads church, still lies the grave of Ebenezer Scrooge! It was also used in the John Cleese film 'Clockwise'
Incidentally if there are any HP fans out there (like me and my daughter), the real Hogsmead station is at a place called Goatland on the North Yorks. Moors. That's where they filmed the station scenes (it is also where they filmed Heartbeat). You can have a shufti around for an hour or so, then head into Whitby for fish and chips!
The Hogwarts Express is now at the Harry Potter Experience at Leavesden Studios.
Anyway sorry for the thread diversion. I will stop now.