talkmagic.co.uk

For reasons entirely beyond my control, I'm about to leave the grim, cold, rainy north (blue skies today - lovely weather ) and head down to *shudder* London.

I've got a place to stay tonight if I decide to stick around (I may just hop on the train and head back up north to more civilised lands this evening - but figure I might as well stick around for a wee bit) which leaves me wondering what to do with my time there.

Is there anywhere worth going to see some magic in the great outdoors (Covent Garden seems obvious)?
Magic shops worth dropping in to?
Anything else?

I'll be leaving the house in about half an hour (seriously short notice trip) but due to the arcane magic that is mobile internet I'll keep an eye on this thread to see any responses.

Cheers folks.

make sure you have your jabs, a translator and your passport for border control at hand at all times...

try to speak clearly, don't eat the pigeons and try not to be scared by the giant metal caterpillars that we call "the london underground"...they are machines...

oh and if you go into the pub in covent garden called The Coal Hole, they serve ale and pies...

Th' Cole 'ole?
By 'eck lad. Tha' sounds jus' lahk 'ome. Reckon I'll 'ave t'pop in for a proper bit't grub.

Cheers f't tips, lad. Them bigguns down't London pit sound reet scary. There's nowt lak tha' crawlin roun' down't pits up 'ere.

of course Ipswich isn't a million miles away from London, so maybe you could combine your homeward journey on Sunday with a wonderful day of magic at their annual one day convention. All the usual things, lectures, dealers, gala show...

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic36334.php

Plus of course you will get to meet the likes of Mandrake and myself.
(although thinking about it maybe that will put you off).

That's kinda tempting. The plan was to head back oop norf on Saturday, but if there's enough in the kitty I might have to delay and detour.

More than likely not, but maybe.

BigShot wrote:More than likely not

Its because I said Mandrake would be there isnt it - damn - I knew that was a mistake!

I can hide somewhere out of the way if it helps...

...of course Ipswich isn't a million miles away from London

Damned nearly!

Not at all... I'm happy enough meeting wierdos from the internet.
Just dunno of I'll be able to make it.
If not, I'll make it up to you by attending if I end up on London on about 3 hours notice again and it coincides with the convention.



So folks... where to go in dat London?

Two magic shops of course, Davenports and International Magic. I only had a quick peep at them recently, International is old, small and pokey - just my sort of magic shop - and Davenports is at Charing Cross Undergroud shopping arcade. With so many empty units around, that shop looked very much as though it was isolated and hadly expecting passing custom. Nice display of trickery in the windows and inside. After that you could walk along to Treadwells and see where the Psycrets and Paul Voodini extravaganzas are held - wonderfully weird shop but browsers are welcome!

When ever I go into Internaional Magic or Davenports I always expect the shopkeeper to suddenly appear from nowhere like the Shopkeeper in Mr Benn.

Tip for the owners of International Magic... your shop is NOT near to Covent Garden. Not even close. Thought I'd be able to get there easily from there... any journey needing a change of trains isn't close. Neither is a 20+ minute walk.
If you hadn't put that little bit of nonsense on your site I would have planned to set off much earlier and come along to throw my hard-earned into your till.
Ah well... your loss.

Not gonna be able to make it up to Ipswich for the convention. Would have had money to spend there too, since I didn't make it to the above mentioned shop. A bit miffed at the way it's gone.

BigShot wrote:Tip for the owners of International Magic... your shop is NOT near to Covent Garden.

Shouldn't that read Hatton Garden, which is just round the next corner but one?

V.E. Day wrote:

BigShot wrote:Tip for the owners of International Magic... your shop is NOT near to Covent Garden.

Shouldn't that read Hatton Garden, which is just round the next corner but one?

International Magic's website wrote:We are in (sic) near to many of London's favourite Tourist Attractions - St Paul's Cathedral, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, the British Museum, West end Theatres and lots more.

I don't think Hatton Garden is really a tourist attraction, and Oxford Street is no nearer than Covent Garden. I think it's just a misleading site.

Or should that be "misdirecting"?

Along with a map, their website also shows:

UNDERGROUND Nearest underground tube stations are:
Chancery Lane Station (Central Line)
Farringdon Station (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and the Thames Link lines.)

BUS ROUTES By Bus routes: (8, 17, 19, 25, 38, 46, 55, 171A, 242, 243, 501, 505, 521)

I used Google maps to check out the location beforehand and Farringdon was the most convenient station from where I was staying, near to Kings Cross. No idea how useful the buses are as the road traffic seemed to be very slow moving most of the time!