Things to do & see in London

...so recommendations for cheap accomodation for the 10-12th of January and suggestions for stuff to do/see is welcomed too.

Depends what you're into I guess. I know there were some other shipping containers over near Truman Brewery or Brick Lane Market :)

I think I'll look through the "Cheap places to eat" and "Pub recommandations" threads and then freestyle the sightseeing, when I get there.

JesperXT, if you're looking for container interiors, try wahaca down on the Southbank in between Waterloo bridge and the london eye, and you'll see how a restaurant across a couple of different levels works.

Otherwise the only other thing I could say is head down to spiralfields market, to have a look at that, more glass and metal commercialism but it will lead you into the area down by drays walk, Truman brewery and brick lane heading back towards shoreditch high st, which is interesting in terms of how businesses, cafes/shops are being scrunched into older buildings..

Great - The Wahaca one looks perfect. Thanks again!

There's a hotel/hostel thing next to Camden Market which is made out of containers. It's mostly clad with stuff so you can't see the metal, but it was interesting watching them build it.
I don't know the name, but it's on Chalk Farm Road next to the Lock Tavern, where the filling station used to be.

Jesper - also have a look at http://www.boxpark.co.uk/ off Shoreditch High St

You'ev not been reading this thread closely have you?
http://www.lfgss.com/post4020302-222.html

jexsperXT you probably know about these, but did a quick search and came up with these results for container living/working in london, most of them are in east london down in the docks, so not such a big jaunt to get there...

http://www.containercity.com/projects/container-city-ii

http://www.containercity.com/projects/category/retail-cafes-hotels

http://www.containercity.com/projects/pinchin-streets

Didn't know about them, no, so thanks again for some really useful info.

In london this weekend, Is V&A, Serpentine, Saatchi & Tate Modern (Open til ten) doable in a day? Also could sanyone reccomend somewhere for a decent but cheap lunch within walking distance of the Serpentine/Saatchi?

Probably more awkward but the restaurant at the tate is excellent. Lovely views of St Pauls as well.

Kompute, all those are doable in a day, but you might get galleried out.
V&A especially you'll want to spend a bit of time in.
V&A is just a long walk through Hyde Park away from the Serpentine Gallery.
Saatchi on Kings Road is a bus ride away from the V&A, Tate Modern is a tube ride away away from Saatchi, but you may want to do the walk down the south bank from Westminster/Waterloo to Tate Modern, and then further on down to London Bridge.

In terms of lunch, Saatchi is on the Kings Road, so anything round there won't be super cheap, but here's a list of cheap eats out west from this thread
http://www.lfgss.com/thread91256.html

ones in bold are closer to Serpentine/Hyde Park rather than the Saatchi Gallery, but Edgeware road is a tube/bus ride away..

WEST
BAYSWATER – Taza. Amazing falafel for about £3, just don't eat it standing up or you'll be wearing tahini
EDGWARE RD – Mandalay for Burmese food, unfancy looking, incredible food, £10er a head including a beer will be plenty, booking essential
EDGWARE RD - Kandoo for Persian is very good, a few doors down the road from Mandalay
EDGWARE RD - Patogh for Persian just off Edgware rd (by cafe Nero).
LADBROKE GROVE - Fez Mangal - Turkish BBQ with BYO IIRC. Good selection of meat and vegetarian dishes that won't break the bank - £20 will feed 2, easily.
NOTTING HILL GATE, The Churchill Arms on Kensington Church St. Pub on the front, but authentic cheap Thai restaurant round the back.
PADDINGTON - Bonda Cafe 190 Sussex Gardens W2 1TU. Kopi Tiam Malaysia style. Nasi Goreng and Teh Tarik for £6 they also serve a nice Nasi Campur
PORTOBELLO RD - Makan will give you change from a tenner. Best nasi campur I've come across.
SHEPHERDS BUSH - Next to Barclays on Uxb Rd. Great kebabs but do a mix of Afghan/Lebanese/Pakistani so the curries make a perfect sit down meal, about £6 per person
SOUTH KENSINGTON - Little Japan, tiny cafe, huge bentoes for about £5, cheap for a massive lunch
KENSAL RISE / QUEENS PARK - Ida; Italian restaurant - great value, ever changing menu, lunchtime 3 course deals too

In london this weekend, Is V&A, Serpentine, Saatchi & Tate Modern (Open til ten) doable in a day? Also could sanyone reccomend somewhere for a decent but cheap lunch within walking distance of the Serpentine/Saatchi?

Skip the Saatchi (it'll be shite), so do the V&A and Serpentine in the morning, as they're within walking distance of each other, then Tate Modern in the evening.

Tate modern and Tate Britain, and get the boat between them, if the weather is clear.
I have a feeling that the turbine hall in tate modern is still closed though, so you won't get the full effect of the place.

Yeah I'd skip the Saatchi too. Go Science Museum instead for the Only in England exhibition. Is good.

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/only_in_england.aspx

If you do go to Science Museum for Only in England (recommended, but I work there, so am biased), go and find Listening Post too, by Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen. It's an incredible bit of art you can spend time with.

JesperXT, you're probably after clusters of containers, but you can also see single containers used a lot. Since an arson attack on the wooden hut it used to have, Bike Yard East has been based in a container at Hackney City Farm. Containers have also been used by quite a few schools starting cycle training to store bikes and materials. As you probably know, premises are usually the first and worst obstacle to starting a small business in London, and containers have been invaluable for some of these bike businesses.

London Recumbents use containers:

http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1083/4611240884_8085fc3dd1.jpg

Herne Hill Velodrome has also been using numerous containers for years to store bikes.

Those examples probably aren't what you're after, but at least they're all bike-related. :)

Tate modern and Tate Britain, and get the boat between them, if the weather is clear.
I have a feeling that the turbine hall in tate modern is still closed though, so you won't get the full effect of the place.

The turbine hall is the only thing worth going for in the tate modern
The whitecube in bermondsey normally has somthing good on
http://whitecube.com/exhibitions/

OK, so when you get up to Hamptead and Hampstead Heath, is there a spot where you can get a good view of the city?

Parliament Hill
Legend has it that the gunpowder plotters met at the top to watch the expected explosion.

My housemate has roped me into driving a hire van to transport his broken motorbike to Fulham from Brighton today. Whilst there he has a few things to do so I'm gonna have a few hours to kill. Got no money whatsoever, but will take my bike with me

What should I do? Where should I ride?

Only cycled in the city once or twice but will be able to find my way around

find the river and follow it
tranquil, usually pretty quiet, lots of nice buildings along the thames with a bit of history thrown in

Using the search is the first thing I'd do in London.

come to trafalgar square at 2pm and boo at some taxi drivers