Golden memories
ALMOST two thirds of Brits on a beach holiday spend only an hour on the sand – or avoid it completely. Most would rather hang out by the hotel pool, where they are not on show and can dodge beach sellers and getting sand in their bikini, a poll by sunshine.co.uk found. Sunshine boss Chris Clarkson said:“The classic beach holiday has really changed.” IT’S one of the world’s most expensive cities, but here Lonely Planet picks some of the capital’s priceless sights and experiences where you don’t need to put your hand in your pocket. There was a nationwide roar of fury when it was announced that the iconic diplodocus in the entrance hall will be replaced with a whale skeleton in 2017. But with or without Dippy, it’s worth a visit to marvel at the Victorian architecture and 80 million other treasures. FIND IT: Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7, 10am-5.50pm. MORE INFO: nhm.ac.uk. The Victoria and Albert is the world’s greatest art and design museum, home to 4.5 million objects filling 145 galleries, spanning 5,000 years. It’s an eclectic mix, taking in paintings, sculptures, photos, textiles and crockery. It also runs the Museum of Childhood, with the UK’s biggest collection of toys and games. FIND IT: Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7, 10am-5.45pm Sat-Thur, 10am-8pm Fri. MORE INFO: vam.ac.uk, vam.ac.uk/moc. Before paying a small fortune to break into the Tower of London, head across the road to check out the remains of a structure that pre-dates it by a thousand years. This is the best preserved section of the Roman wall that encircled the city. It is thought it was built circa AD 200, 150 years after Boadicea sacked the city. FIND IT: Tower Hill, EC3N, 24 hours. MORE INFO: english-heritage.org.uk. The British Film Institute’s Southbank den is full of screen gold. There’s an exhibition space, cinema screens and bars, but don’t miss Mediatheque, where you can park yourself in front of a widescreen computer and access thousands of documentaries, films and shows. WHERE AND WHEN: South Bank, SE1, 11am-11pm Mon-Thu, 11am-11.30pm Fri-Sat. MORE INFO: bfi.org.uk/mediatheque. This annual series of free events hijacks the South Bank in summer. You get live music, fringe theatre, kids’ shows and films in The Scoop – a 1,000-seat concrete amphitheatre near Tower Bridge. The big screen on site also broadcasts big sporting events such as Wimbledon. WHERE AND WHEN: South Bank, More London Riverside, SE1, June-September. MORE INFO: morelondon.com. This cathedral dedicated to the worship of scientific thought attracts 3.3 million people each year. Its 300,000 objects cover everything from aircraft to microchips, with highlights including Stephenson’s Rocket and a full-size replica of the Eagle moon lander. FIND IT: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7, 10am-6pm Sat-Thu, 10am-10pm Fri. MORE INFO: sciencemuseum.org.uk. Parks are London’s lungs. Millions picnic around the Serpentine in Hyde Park or come to hear soapboxso oratory at Speaker’s Corner. The free WinterW Wonderland from November to January is a winner. Regent’s Park boasts a fab flower garden,ga and near the inner circle is the hidden entranceen to idyllic St John’s Lodge Garden. FINDF THEM: Hyde Park: 5am-midnight. Regent’s Pa Park: 5am-8pm. MOREM INFO: royalparks.org.uk. Th This is the ideal destination for the incurably cu curious, where you can discover how doctors tr treated people who had tumbled into the Th Thames by blowing smoke up their bottoms. Es Established by 19th-century pharmacist Sir H Henry Wellcome, it is where medicine, life and ar art collide. You can also see used guillotine bl blades and Napoleon’s old toothbrush.