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Pubs and Bars
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Pubs do not charge entry, you will be pleased
to hear - the only problem is that close at 11pm (with a few exceptions).
Some bars do charge entry, but this is most likely the case if they are
late-night ones (i.e. open until 2am). It is unlikely that you will be able
to get discounts on bar entry prices, but many charge less (or don't charge
at all) before a certain time, perhaps around 11pm. Of course, the downside
to this is that they are likely to be pretty boring earlier on in the
evenings, with few people there.
Cinema
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Going to the cinema in London can
be a pretty pricey affair. There are numerous cinemas dotted all around the
capital, most of which belong to chains, although there are also some
independent ones and as well as those showing art-house movies.
Here are some tips to keep the cost of
going to the cinema down:
1) Go to the cinema during the day - ticket prices increase for evening
performances
2) If applicable, use a student/seniors card
3) If you're a student, check when you can use your student card - some
cinemas only accept them before a certain time of the day, or Monday to Fridays
only. Tip: Some of the Warner Village cinemas accept all day, 7 days a week!
4) Avoid some of the chain cinemas right in the centre as these will often
charge the most
5) The Prince of Wales cinema, just off Leicester Square, has good prices
(£4 for most performances!) and also often shows slightly older films. They
also have viewings of Sing-Along A Rocky Horror Picture Show and
Sing-Along a Sound of Music, which are exactly as they sound - tickets
for these cost £12.50/£13.50.
The main cinema chains in London are:
Odeon
UCI Cinemas
UGC Cinemas
Warner Village
Other cinemas:
Curzon Cinemas Curzon Soho,
99 Shaftsbury Avenue, W1 and Curzon Mayfair, 38 Curzon Street, W1
Electric Cinema 191
Portobello Road, W11
Gate Cinema Notting Hill Gate, W11
ICA Cinema The Mall, SW1
The OTHER Cinema 11 Rupert Street, W1
Theatre
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There's a tkts booth in
Leicester Square (on the south side) that sells theatre tickets at half
price (plus a service charge). It is open 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 12pm to
3pm Sunday. Simply pop along to the booth to see what they have available
for that day. Website: www.tkts.co.uk
It is also possible to get cheaper tickets
direct from the theatre box offices; again, just turn up on the day to see
if any tickets (returns) are available. Box offices usually open at around
10am.
Nightlife
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Clubs in London generally tend to
be a pricey affair - at some places, you can pay up to £20 just to get in before you've
even thought about how much drinks are going to cost. As with bars, some
clubs charge less before a certain time. Some also offer student discounts
(as long as a student card is shown!) at any time of entry. Entry can also
be reduced by acquiring flyers to clubs which are usually handed out in the
vicinity of the place, or given to you as you leave the club the previous
time (that sounds a little illogical, but we hope you see what we mean).
The best bet is to get a copy of the weekly
Time Out to see club listings, venues,
prices and so on, so you can see the best value places to go to (as well as
the best places to go to, full stop). Time Out also has a "Night Pass" every week, which gives
free or reduced entry to a number of venues!
Music
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Getting reduced music concert
tickets is quite difficult, but at least booking at ticket agencies such as
TicketMaster may make things
easier.
Sport
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Football
Getting cheap football tickets is near impossible in this day and age. Just
be lucky that you're not a Chelsea fan! (If you are, then bad luck.) At
least for information on getting tickets for games, it is advisable to check
the websites of football clubs. If you're desperate to get to a game,
regardless of its quality (ahem!), you may like to look at the lower
divisions.
Premiership Clubs:
Arsenal F.C.
Charlton Athletic
Chelsea F.C.
Fulham F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tennis
The main tennis action in London is courtesy of
Wimbledon, which takes place in late
June and early July. For a cheap Wimbledon experience, arrive after 5pm when
ground tickets are reduced (they cost £8 in 2003). It is also possible to
get returned tickets for the show courts (Centre Court, and Courts 1 and 2)
for a few pounds, but you'll need to queue up once again for these, once
you're inside the grounds.
Festivals and events
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One of the best known, and most
popular, events on the London calendar is the Notting Hill Carnival.
Held over the last weekend of August each year, there are parades, live
music, street stalls, food, drink (not all of this is free, obviously!) and
just a general excuse to party.
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