I'm tasked with impressing a few family friends from the States who's teenage kids are heavily into vintage type stuff.

I plan to take them to London, anywhere there is fine tbh. The things I'm looking for are shops that sell jewellery, books and vinyl records/CDs. I need to sort out all three.

Jewellery: Honestly looking for cheap items. I'm talking <£10-30 per piece. Doesn't have to be real silver/gold. Looking for kinda retro things like brooches, necklaces, pendants and rings. Essentially the typical stuff sold on Etsy. A place with a lot of range please. Not like a Claires pls.

Books: Sounds cliche but that typical independent, classy bookshop vibe is what we're looking for here.

Records/CDs: They would like to buy CDs. I was in Greenwich once and picked up a Metallica CD for like £2 once. Places like those would be perfect. They'll browse through vinyl records too.

Can anyone recommend some shops based on each of those? Please!

i am looking to party somewhere that plays 2000 hits (rnb, hip hop, rap and pop) just anything 2000s. i dont mind 90s

like any venues

I have applied for over 200 part time jobs in london as a 17yr old and I have either gotten rejected or ignored from EVERY SINGLE ONE. There is literally nothing wrong with my CV I have “experience” that I put down on my cv and my dad who is very knowledgeable about this type of stuff has said it’s professional. The jobs im applying for aren’t even specific im literally just applying left and right at restaurants, retail stores, cafes etc etc and im getting nothing. Only two interviews. Its not like my schedule is tight either despite me being a student im free any day of the week except Mondays and Tuesdays at any times idk what im doing wrong.

EDIT: why is this being downvoted ????????

Hey I have been growing my hair and beard for years. I love the length of both together, but it's getting out of whack now. Split ends everywhere, different lengths in different places, I need a proper trim.

I usually don't mind the raw naturel style look but I have a special event coming up and I want it to look good and also have an healthy reset (split ends are becoming visible).

I am a bit overwhelmed with all the barbers and hairdressers offering lots of different services and it's really unclear if barbers can handle long hair well for example. I've been told to go to a ladies hair salon for my long hair but what about the beard... ideally I'd like to do all at once.

Where in London would you recommend to go for a stylish reset (while keeping the length) to handle men's long beard and long hair. I don't mind the price as I go rarely and want it to look good (ideally in north/central London). Thanks!

Shot in the dark, I accidentally left a grey slazenger sports bag with toiletries and clothes in a lime bike near Ebury bridge rd, Belgravia

I know it’s a long shot but please message if you saw anything

#Hello, welcome to London!
Visiting us? Moving to study or work? Brief layover? Moving to a new part of London? Any small questions about life here, if you're new or been here your whole life, this is the place!

We get a lot of posts asking very similar questions so this post aims to address some of our most Frequently Asked Questions, and give you a place to ask for assistance.

Your first port of call should be
#the r/london wiki

It includes sections on:

What should I see and where are the non-touristy stuff and hidden gems?
We've written about the big must-sees here and we highly recommend TfL's Experiences site.
We've listed some of our favourite lesser-known stuff here And the cheap/free stuff here

What's happening in London today/this weekend/this month? Check out listings: VisitLondon - London's official tourist website; Time Out London - the original and classic listings site; The Londonist - like a newer Time Out; IanVisits - a blog of the more quirky cultural and historical events; Skiddle - popular site for gigs and club nights; Resident Advisor - the go-to for electronic music and club nights; NightNomads - nightlife listings site; London Ears - extensive chronological gig listings with Spotify links; Designmynight - curated lists of cool restaurants, quirky bars and various different fun events and experiences.

How do I pay for the Tube/bus, and what's an Oyster card?
You don't pay cash. You can use a number of contactless payments systems such as your Contactless bankcard (which is widespread in the UK, but maybe not so much elsewhere), Apple Pay, Android Pay, or you can buy an Oyster card and top it up with credit. See here for more.

Where should I live? What's x area like?
Have a look here
It includes recommended sites to find places to live and rent, and has a section on what particular areas are like.

How do I get from this place to that place?
Use Citymapper. Honestly, we're not shills for them; it's just a really good app and is used by most of the locals on this sub.

Is x area safe?
Yes. Bad stuff can happen in any large city, but London is generally very safe. There aren't any no-go zones. Even under the shadow of terrorist attacks, most Londoners feel safe. See our safety page here for more.

Where can I watch the baseball/basketball/football/handegg match?
A comprehensive guide to all London football matches in all leagues can be found at tlfg.uk. Use Fanzo to find pubs showing a variety of sports and see our list of other places here

How do I get a UK SIM card for my phone?
Advice on networks and how to get a SIM card is covered here.
It also includes suggestions of cafés and other places where you can get free wifi and do a bit of work.

Is the London Pass worth it?
Probably not

Other subs that you may find helpful:

• /r/LondonSocialClub - Meeting new people for events, activities and/or pints.
• /r/VisitLondon - A dedicated tourism sub for holiday-planning questions (check out their pinned post for links to various suggested itineraries)
• /r/IWantOut & /r/UKvisa - Check if you need a visa and how to get one if you want to work here.
• /r/LegalAdviceUK - Good for all sorts, especially for questions about landlords and contracts.
• /r/UKPersonalFinance - Another goldmine of sage advice.
• /r/AskUK - Great for general questions about UK life that aren't specific to London.

Tips for posting:

Tell us about you - If you want us to suggest things for you to do then you need to give us a good idea of what you enjoy. Don't just say "I like music", say what type of music. Don't just say you want "somewhere nice to eat", say what type of cuisine you like (or don't like). The more specific you are the better, otherwise you'll just get pointed back to the generic guidebooks, blogs and our wiki.

Tell us your budget - If you're on a budget then tell us what it is and we can bear that in mind when making recommendations. There's no point in us coming up with ideas for things to do and places to eat if they'll clean out your wallet within the first 5 minutes. Saying you want something "cheap" isn't really helpful because what's cheap is entirely subjective.

Tell us where you'll be based - Let us know where you'll be staying so that we can give local recommendations.

Asking about hotels or hostels - We have homes here so know very little about what the hotels are like. Look on review websites such as TripAdvisor. However, if you say "I've been looking at these three hotels. Which do you think is the better location?" then that's the sort of thing we can answer.

Non-touristy stuff - There are no secret corners where we hide the good stuff from outsiders! This is one of the most written about cities in the world, so when we want to go to a museum, or gallery, go window shopping, or whatever, we look at the same sources as tourists (listings sites, blogs, etc - see front page of the wiki).

^(These weekly posts are scheduled to post each Monday at 00:01. If it's late in the week you may want to wait for a new post to appear. Please send us ModMail with any suggested improvements!)

I have found plenty of articles and whatnot about where to find the BEST wellington but i want to know if some kind stranger out there knows where they can satisfy a swedish man of vigorous apetite whos going to Londinium.

Cheers !

And remember, mind the gap.

I have been struggling greatly with my mental health due to the crisis in job market (I guess). All the bullies I have been through in life keeps coming back, even when I am just walking on road some memories flashes in front of my eyes vividly. And I just want to fin!sh them all for good - yes, it’s that worse now. No matter how much I am trying to make it through something is pulling me back. It feels like I am always inside an abyss. Dark, no one can hear me.

CNN has written about the best European Xmas markets and has Winter Wonderland as one of them.

Hopefully this will clear the streets of tourists and allow the festive period to be calmer in the capital’s thoroughfares.

“Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is one of the most highly anticipated winter events in the UK capital.

The festive favorite, which began in 2005, brings in huge crowds every year thanks to its 200-plus rides, including a 70-meter-high big wheel, mulled wine stations and an outdoor skating rink, which happens to be the largest in the United Kingdom.”

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/best-christmas-markets-around-the-world/index.html

Edit: Apologies to those that have had a sense of humour failure or have a different sense of humour than mine (and possibly others) FFS.

Hi everyone,

I’m not sure if this is the right place to post, but I could really use some advice. I’m in a bit of a tough spot. I recently completed my studies, and my student visa is expiring soon. I’m hoping to find work in the legal or admin field, but the lack of strong references is making it difficult to get my foot in the door.

I’m also currently unemployed and running low on financial resources to support myself, so the situation is becoming pretty urgent. I’m considering applying for a graduate visa to extend my stay, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the cost without a job offer lined up.

If anyone here has navigated similar challenges, especially in the London market, do you think the graduate visa would open up enough opportunities to make it worth it? If anyone has any advice—or even potential references—to help me break into the legal/admin sector, it would mean a lot. Also, any tips for job hunting in legal/admin fields, or advice on building connections quickly, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much for any guidance you can offer!

So, yesterday at the bar we had a group of older men and women in uniform with badges on the uniform. But then we also had younger guys with in royal navy uniform with hat on and stuff. Why are they always swarm central London around this period. And isn't it the case that drinking in your uniform is disrespectful?

We are around the Soho area, does anyone know any bars that might be popping on a Sunday? Everywhere we have gone tonight has been dead!

Edit: adding link to original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/london/s/ZBpRN2ucrj

The whole conversation under the NIMBY-Whitechapel thread was just so disappointing to read. There seems to be this idea that everything has to be ‘pretty’ and ‘pleasant’ for everyone. Yes, Whitechapel is a bit rough around the edges, but I think people forget that Whitechapel used to be the gutter of London for centuries, and it has a very strong heritage as a working class area with a constant flux of inhabitants. Part of preserving heritage is understanding it; a neighbourhood can be perfectly liveable whilst preserving both its social fabric, urban design and architectural patrimony. Just because a building isn’t a palace doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve preserving. Working class history is history nonetheless, and one that is so important to remember and celebrate. I am not saying one cannot build anything new in Whitechapel, but preserving the height profile is the minimum that can be done. Already the RLH newbuild has allowed for the Silk District to make its random appearance in a mostly 4-floor neighbourhood, okay, I guess, the whole life sciences campus will likely capitalise on bits of this height increase, but thankfully because of the conservation area regulations they can’t do just about everything.

If you think Whitechapel needs gentrification, then you shouldn’t be in Whitechapel, full stop. I understand neighbourhoods change, but do we seriously need yet another central neighbourhood catering to the higher middle class whilst the working class has to move yet another zone further out? Really?

Also just to comment on a couple of other things mentioned in that thread. Yes the parking lot in front of Sainsburys sucks big time. Yes, the high street market could look prettier but it is important to mention this is mainly a facility issue due to the reorganisation being a bit tricky. Changes are being trialled to see if semi-permanent structures can work there instead.

Re: the market, let me recount a little anecdote that happened to me during the last election. The LibDem candidate rings my bell, I come down, I want to respect his effort and even if I am not planning to vote LibDem, I want to hear him out and so I do. In the middle of his pitch he starts off with the market on the high street, saying that this needs to be ‘transformed’ with ‘appealing business’ taking over so people ‘come to Whitechapel as a destination’. In that moment I realised he didn’t understand AT ALL who lives in Whitechapel and how we live. This is such a community-driven neighbourhood, and the market fulfils that social function and caters to the local community with its offerings. Why change that? So the local community loses their spaces and people that don’t even live in the neighbourhood come to buy some random shit. Implicit here is, this drives the community out of there, both culturally and financially. Building random buildings that hollow out the neighbourhood only brings us closer to that outcome, and it is important to raise awareness of the context of each neighbourhood so people are educated and not just blindly call for gentrification in the name of progress

How long is the display? It starts at 7pm but that’s all the info I could get.

Has anyone been on a family night? Is it safe to just be there at 6:30pm and we’ll get a good spot?

First time!

Random, I know. I need to get out of my comfort zone and routine. I hate dancing and always feel incredible self-conscious so that's one thing I have on the list. I'd like to try a triathlon at some point and I have the running and cycling down but my swimming is more like progressive drowning so I need to get to a point where I can swim 500m comfortably.

I am in SE London but central is easily accessible. Any recommendations and suggestions gratefully received.

Hey folks, how's everyone doing?

You'll have seen our recent series of AMAs - we've had a cheesemonger from Neal's Yard, the lovely folks from E Pelicci, a historical pub tour guide, and of course most recently Jim from London Centric. Coming up from next week onwards we've got the the ever-popular IanVisits; a senior carer from a Cat Cafe, and a London historian among others.

But we've love to do more cool AMAs - do you know someone with a unique London job or an interesting London experience of some kind? If you know someone who'd like to answer some interesting questions from you lovely lot, please do get in touch either via email on UKAMArequests[at]reddit.com or via Modmail. Cheers all!

Hey guys - my friend was out in/near Holborn and found a statue but have no idea where it was. It’s carved onto a side of a building, possibly a grey stone wall, building might be a house but not 100%, it’s 2D, and it was of a mermaid…

If anyone knows of it / something that might be it please help!

Whoever, who is no Londoner, ever tells me that London transports is complicated... Try freaking Madrid!

I live in Battersea near the bridge and there is insanely loud music playing. Does anyone know where this is coming from?