This is Cheapskate's guide to London, one of the most expensive European capitals, featuring London's free events, shopping, budget travel and much more...
Be on TV!
If you want to be part of a TV audience and see a show for free, visit www.bbc.co.uk/tickets. But if fame is your middle name and you wanna be on TV, log onwww.beonscreen .com. Simply register with them and they will email you a list of programmes you can apply for. See you on the box!
Shoe shopping till you're dropping
Shoes, lovely shoes, you can't never have enough pairs. If you want to indulge without paying a high price, crawl to the Office discount store in St Martin's Lane, near Leicester Square. And don't forget Aldo's discount store is in Camden High Street, near Camden Town tube - pure shoe and accessories heaven!
If you want to celebrate St Patrick's Day in style this March you must visit Dublin. To plan ahead, go to the Irish Tourist Board at 1 Regent Street, W1, to pick up brochures of places to stay and visit. Do your homework by logging on www.visitdublin.com for useful tourist info and book your flight at www.ryanair.com. In Dublin, don't miss the magnificent St Patrick's Cathedral, The National Gallery of Ireland, the charming St Stephen's Green and the awesome Trinity College (Oscar Wilde studied there). Shop on Grafton Street and have a coffee at Bewley's, an atmospheric tearoom. Check out the thriving Temple Bar quarter, best for art, restaurants and nightlife. For a sightseeing tour with a difference, board one of Viking Splash Tours' World War II amphibious vehicles to see the city by land and by water. Log on www.vikingsplash.ie for more details. If you can't get away, join the London's anual St Patrick Day parade on 16 March in Trafalgar Square.
Buying a home takes time and dedication. Find out what
the prices are in London and in the suburban areas. These are the best sites for house hunting (some include useful
buyer's guides, too: www.hotproperty.co.uk;
www.fish4homes.co.uk and www.rightmove.co.uk. For a good price indicator, visit www.houseprices.co.uk, where you can find out how much houses really sold for!
Log on www.streetmap.co.uk, print your search and leave your bulky AZ at home!
Ever been to a farmers' market? They're growing like
mushrooms all around London and they're good fun.To
find the nearest one and grab some genuine goodies, visit www.farmersmarkets.net.
Take another look at London's official tourist site, which offers plenty of information on sightseeing, events and even eating out. Try the handy travel/visit planner and book hotels, tickets for shows and restaurants online. A must for visitors and residents alike. Go to www.visitlondon.com.
For more London events, check out the calendar
here
Last but not least, it's Shrove Tuesday on 20 February!
Find some good recipes at www.pancakerecipes.net.
your stuff.
If you want to browse Cheapskate's archive of freebies,
click on The Best of Cheapskate
If you have any comments, suggestions or queries, email [email protected]. I reply to everybody, just give me time!
