Wrapping up, Manchester...

The highlight of my break was in Manchester. My brother and I are huge Manchester United fans, more because we become extreme fans of everything we like rather than anything else. I managed to get some tickets through Thomas Cook Sport for the match on the 21^st of December against West Ham United and the energy surrounding Old Trafford is absolutely electrifying. Songs were sung and chants were chanted, and an exciting 3 goals were shot into the opponents net. I would try to get tickets through the supporter’s site next time, but till then I am still a noob who does not know how to navigate through the supporter’s website.

 

There are many people selling match day memorabilia and some of them are actually quite nice. My brother got a scarf for £5 with the dates on it so it was pretty cool.

 

Old Trafford is an imposing stadium that towers over you making you feel absolutely tiny. It does not have the same smooth flow of Emirates Stadium but the stories that the walls hold is like a silent spirit that flies by silently. The Stadium almost lacks the glamour you would expect the world’s biggest football brand to have, especially in the players lounge where it almost look like any other old football waiting room. It is explained that the club deliberately does so to keep players grounded, I kind of like it that way.

 

A specialty about Manchester United and Old Trafford is that it is more than just a football club. The Munich disaster played a large part in ensuring that and the little stories you will hear from the guide along the way gives the tour more life than tours in other stadiums. But who am I to say, I obviously have a biased opinion.

 

In our short stay in Manchester, we stayed in the Park Inn by Radisson in Victoria, Manchester. It was quite lovely and after our tiring and jam-packed London action, it was a really nice change to have a more luxurious stay in the hotel. The hotel is close to Arndale, a shopping centre that has most things that you would want it to, Topshop, River Island, New Look and so on. It opens till 9pm on weekdays but only up to 5pm on Sundays.

 

I enjoyed the Christmas Markets in Manchester much more than the one in London due to their manageable size. The city is very compact and equipped with tramlines and free Metroshuttles. However, locals would advice you to just walk, as everything is pretty close. They also have a nicely sized China Town with food and yummy desserts too. I had dinner at T.G.I.F because I never tried it. I ordered a Jack Daniels Burger and it was so huge but delicious.

 

On our last day in Manchester, we checked out at 12.00 pm and had 7 hours to kill. From Park Inn, we walked to the National Football Stadium, which was free. We spent close to 3 hours there going through the things inside with detail. It is a really good museum for any football enthusiast. After, we walked to Arndale and had Nando’s for dinner before walking to Picadilly station to head northwards to Durham.

 

So I do not really have many useful tips for Manchester because I did not really explore the city. It is a great little city with a lot of character in corners of the buildings where everything is never too far off. It is not as expensive as London but just as enjoyable. If you like football, definitely make a stop at the National Football Stadium and take a listen to the hilarious radio recordings on floor 2. I am counting on myself to visit Manchester once more.

Wrapping up, the final train ride: London Tips and Tricks

And thank God for that. You see, I am a horribly boring person and the last 12 days have been nothing but a whirlwind of excitement that I really enjoyed, but am also absolutely drained out by. The finale to the trip ended with me missing the last train from London to Durham and staying over an extra night as well as paying for an extra ticket. While I’m not particularly pleased about that, I am thankful that my train ticket that did not come with a seat got me to a train with a tabled seat which was free, meaning more room! So I was be well rested by the time I arrive back in little Durham instead of arriving in the middle of the night contemplating whether or not to take a cab ride home.

I had a really good trip this time exploring both London and Manchester. They were very football heavy and probably appeal only to people with the same interest. Nevertheless, there're many other facades of the two cities I have yet to discover, but these are just some of the things I would like to share with you.

London

Where I stayed:

YHA St Pancras – I stayed over for my first night as I had to wake up early the next morning to go to Heathrow to fetch my brother who is a young traveller. I chose it because of its close proximity to Kings Cross and its absolute bargain price-£15. It was really good. The common area is nice, warm and cosy manned by friendly staff. The rooms and beds were clean and actually comfortable as well. Definitely a good place to stay.

St George Hotel – This was where I stayed for the remaining duration I was in London with my brother. Located in Paddington just a short 2 minute walk from Paddington tube station, I chose it for again the bargain price it offered, £50 per night for a double room including breakfast AND free wifi. It is a hotel so they clean your room everyday, and breakfast was also included though it was very simple – buns, biscuits, yoghurts, cupped fruit. The down side that as with a lot of other hotels in London, St George is a little old and weary, plus cleanliness is not at its top form. Our room was located at the uppermost floor – four flights of stairs – which didn’t bother us too much as we are young people. I would certainly have appreciated a cleaner place but overall it was fine, especially given that most of our time were spent on the streets, in the tube rather, than in the hotel itself.

Clink 261 – as mentioned, my brother is a young traveller so I had to see him off at the airport as well. Travelling from Durham all the way to London, I booked my return ticket on the same day but was informed by the flight supervisor that I needed to stay until my brother’s flight took off, which meant that I would have to forego my train ticket. I did, but found out that it was completely a waste as they did not even inform me in whichever form or manner that the flight did take off. So I booked a night at Clink 261 for £17.50 a night. The hostel is ok, close to Kings Cross, provides inclusive wifi and breakfast-two very big plus points. In terms of cleanliness YHA is better. 

What I did:

I got the London pass as it included many football stadiums and my brother and I both LOVE football. In addition, I love stadiums themselves, so it made sense for me to get a three-day pass as it has stadium visits as well as many other tourist attractions. Additionally, the three-day pass was on a 10 percent discount so even more win for me. The only thing I did not include was the travel card along with the pass as I have an oyster card linked to my young persons’ railcard. One tip, if I was travelling with someone under 15 (or 16, can’t remember), I would buy a child’s day travel pass everyday costing only £3.40 allowing the child to go to all tube stations. I made a mistake by having my brother use an adult oyster card, which definitely amounted to more than it would if he used child’s day travel passes.

1.   Emirates Stadium

This was our first stop taking a tube to Arsenal station on the Picadilly line heading to Cockfosters. The stadium was designed and built as it looks today with consultation from Arsene Wenger the manager, and a number of his staff to make it as functional and aesthetically pleasing as possible. The result is an impressive beautiful smooth flowing stadium, which in itself is a magnificent structure. Probably my favourite stadium no question, the seats are all designed to allow spectators to get a good holistic view no matter where you were seated, again one of Wenger’s wise request. Worth a visit whether or not you are an Arsenal fan.

2.   Stamford Bridge

This was a simple hop on the District line from Paddington heading towards Wimbledon coming off at Fulham Broadway, definitely my favourite tube station thus far as it is a mall in itself, which isn’t that impressive in itself, but it means that you can hang around the station when the wind is howling outside, and that is quite common over here in England. Coming here straight after Emirates will have you appreciate much more the quality of the Emirates. Stamford Bridge is smaller and older and not as smooth flowing. But they do have an awesome tour guide that made funny jokes. The best part of the tour is the museum where you get to try some penalty shootouts. You also get a 10% discount at the megastore with the London Pass.

3.   Tower Bridge

In my attempt to squeeze every penny out of the money spent on the London pass, I insisted that we toured Tower Bridge. We were absolutely tired and my brother was probably still knackered from jet lag so we did not really enjoy the tour. I did enjoy the mini exhibition of information on bridges around the world on the actual bridge itself, I was a little disappointed that it was closed off instead of being open air but I guess safety issues play a lot in that. Tower Bridge is impressive but perhaps just a look on the outside and a stroll across it would suffice. Plus, do not go there with an empty stomach as there are almost nothing to eat around.

4.   Wimbledon All England Tennis Lawn Club

I am really an overall overly enthusiastic sports spectator and the four major grand slams are some of my favourite things to watch as they are on for almost a whole day on tv for 2 weeks guaranteeing company for me at home. Wimbledon considered the most prestigious out of them all was a definite must visit for me. The tour was informative more than anything, and it also brought to life and perspective what I always see on TV. However, if you are not big on the tournament and the name itself doesn’t give you a flutter of a heartbeat, I would save the journey here. The club is quite a walk from the nearest tube station, which is Southfields on the District Line to Wimbledon. It would probably be wise to visit both Stamford Bridge and Wimbledon on the same day, except that I didn’t realise they were both on the same tube line until too late.

5.   Westminster Abbey

This was the last stop of our journey in terms of touristy sightseeing things. I figured that though the stadiums we visited were iconic in their own right, we probably should stop by a general London must see. It was a good decision in the end, coming off at Westminster stop on District or Circle Line, as another fellow tourist exclaimed “I’m in London!”. It is where Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster Abbey and the parliament are placed all within walking distance to each other. Being there is like being in a typical London postcard, making it feel as if the official London stamp has been pounded on into your passport. Truthfully, I am not sure I would have paid to enter Westminster Abbey if it was not included in the pass. This is because after seeing a few cathedrals in and around England, as well as Europe, they all start looking pretty similar and the price simply gets too hefty to pay as it goes on. But if you do get the pass, definitely stop by to take a look inside.

6.   Wicked at Apollo Victoria Theatre

This was something I was extremely worried about. I have never been to a musical, not even a school production, so I had no idea what to expect. I was worried that I would not understand, and worst still that my brother would be bored to death and fall asleep half way. I chose wicked because I am familiar with some of the songs and that I felt it was light enough for a 14 year old. It was the best decision I made, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and was completely blown away by the quality of it. The actors were absolutely amazing vocals, music and acting were absolutely amazing. I will definitely recommend it, and would even say that your London experience will not be complete if a West End musical is not on the itinerary, and as far as Wicked goes, it is definitely worth it. I booked my tickets through Ticketmaster, trustable site but unfortunately charges a fee. I am on the lookout for another ticketing option that charges no fee.

7.   Shopping

Oxford Circus. That is all you need to know. All the biggest and well-known brands are along that street – H&M, Topshop, Primark, Niketown and many more. The only problem was that there were too many things and the shops were too big that my mind couldn’t process anything, so I ended up walking in and right out. But that is only a problem for me.

8.     Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

My friend told me that this is something I cannot miss, something that London puts up every Christmas. Same as the above point, too many people, too many things, my mind cannot process. Another friend told me to avoid big crowds and have a more pleasant stroll through the Winter Wonderland, early evening is probably a better idea than late evening to dinner time and beyond. Unless you like crowds, of course.

General things:

London is a fabulous albeit a little pricey place to be. Equipped with an oyster card, I really felt like I could take over the place. A day travel pass for an adult costs £5.90 but I believe that the oyster card has a cap of £5.00 per day, definitely worth linking your railcard with it if you have one. 

Paddington is a good place to stay as it is generally quite safe and have quite a few places to eat around. However, it does not have too many supermarkets around and can be quite a walk to Oxford street or Hyde Park especially once you’ve had a long day. Bayswater and Nottinghill are very similar because of proximity and the tube lines that pass through all three stations. The truly central place to stay would be something like Oxford Circus for the shopping experience, and the older tourist attractions are not too far away either. However, it all depends on what you are looking for. London is definitely not a two-sided coin.

YHA is a chain of hostels and it would be a good idea to be member. Wifi is not free to non-members staying at the hostel. I am still trying to be a member, I believe there is a glitch on the website, however, I’m sure it will be sorted out easily with a quick call to administration which I will do. Eventually.

I can’t remember everything we ate in London, but there was one Italian place we had lunch at – P&P. It was a little pricey but we were starving and could find no better option (we are bad tourists aren’t we?). The price totally justifies themselves once you put a spoonful of whatever you ordered into your mouth. We had a roasted tomato soup, Bufalina di Mondragone, and Risotto alla Mantovana. I would certainly go back for more sumptuous meals, provided I can find the place.

It is worth downloading the app Tube Map. You'll have a map of all tube stations at the tip of your fingers and it also has updates on the statuses of tube lines. One site that I found particularly useful if you have no clue how to use the tube is London Drum. If you know which tube station you are starting at, just google your starting tube station and your ending tube station. For example, I stayed in Paddington area so the nearest tube station was Paddington underground. If I wanted to go to King's Cross St Pancras, I would google "Paddington to St Pancras", and something from London Drum will appear. It is super useful as it tells you which line to take, tells you all the underground stations you pass, and also the estimated time it takes to your destination. You might be able to use the journey planner to a specific destination, but I've not needed it for that purpose so far. It has helped me learn how to understand the tube system and got me to places.

I hope you've found this useful, especially if you're planning a trip to London. I also like to visit Time Out London and Londonist to see what things are going on as well as for tips.

Happy New Year! I hope the new year brings you great joy and fulfilment :)

Newcastle, the last stop...

Newcastle was technically more like a trip to the city rather than an exploration itself given that I live in Durham and go to the biggest city in the north east quite frequently to avoid insanity from being swallowed up by all things Durham and University. But it was the last on my itinerary with a boxing day match at St James' Park with a visit by rowdy Stoke City and their fans.

I was seated right in the front, second row from the field within touching distance of the players and probably a lifetime ban from the stadium. It was an amazing atmosphere with the local fans singing and cheering their tunes pushing their team on while the away fans placed high above us getting waved goodbye by the toons as the magpies continued to score goal after goal.

The electrifying atmosphere and friendly local supporters have won me over with their charm, I am looking forward to more exciting encounters in the great North East Stadium, which by the way, have very reasonably priced tickets given the teams it houses and hosts.