London on a Budget - Do More for Less

More free (or cheap) ways to live life to the full in London

| Change of Guard in London

In the world's greatest city you never need to sit at home feeling poor and getting bored.  All over Greater London there are interesting places that are always open to the public, colourful ceremonies that happen regularly, highly educational museums and exhibitions that don't charge for admission, architectural marvels and quirky oddities to marvel at, and talented people longing for an audience to watch them perform.  Go with friends or go alone but ready to meet new people.  Enjoy your time in London!

Changing the Guard
For a display of British pomp and ceremony, watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace.  This is where one section of Queen's Guards exchanges duty with the old guard.  The guards are dressed in traditional red tunics and bearskin hats, and the ceremony is set to music.  To catch the ultimate royal experience, stand outside Buckingham Palace at 10.45am and again at 11.40am to watch the mounted guards ride out of the palace and down The Mall.  It takes place every day from April to July and then alternate days the rest of the year.  Visit the Royal website for a full schedule.

Major Museums and Galleries
All of London's major museums and art galleries are free to enter (though they gratefully accept donations).  So you don't need to plan a whole day's trip to see the National Gallery; just pop in next time you are travelling through Trafalgar Square.  In South Kensington there is a whole cluster of museums, of science,  natural history and geology, and art and design.  With over 2.5 miles of galleries the British Museum contains one of the most comprehensive collections of antiquities and research materials anywhere in the world.  Within the British Museum is the magnificent Reading Room, restored to its 1857 glory and housing 25,000 historic books and catalogues.  The British Library, now on a new site near St Pancras is one of the world's largest and greatest libraries with 150 million items, growing by 3 million new items each year.  Other free-to-enter big London sites include the Tate Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Minor Museums and Attractions
London has an amazing number of less well known but interesting places you can visit for free, though you sometimes need to book in advance.  For example, the Bank of England, Freemasons' Hall,  the Royal College of Surgeons, and the RAF Museum all welcome visitors.  Britain is famous for its stately homes, of which free-to-visit examples inside Greater London include Sir John Soane's Museum, the Geffrye Museum, and Hogarth's House.

Guided Walks
All over London, especially at weekends, short tours of particular regions are led by experienced tour guides.  Typically you just turn up, pay about £5 and walk for a couple of hours with up to a dozen people, and get shown the interesting features of a particular part of London, such as the ancient Roman city, the canal district, Highgate Hill, or Jack the Ripper's haunts.  Great value for money.

Parks
London contains more green open space than other big cities around the world.  You can see ring-neck parakeets, urban foxes, several species of deer, grey squirrels, and many species of water birds.  Recently lots of small eco-friendly parks have been developed, which usually welcome visitors and helpers.

Sport
Many sporting activities are horribly expensive (such as golf, sailing, or even joining a health centre) so what can a poor student do to keep fit?  Buy a bicycle, save money on travel costs, and join Greenwich Cyclists.  There are lots of martial arts clubs in the area.  Many football clubs welcome new recruits, including Blackheath Rugby Club.

Night Life
Let's face it.  Going out drinking and listening to loud music is expensive – not a wise lifestyle for a poor student!  That is precisely why we emphasize educational entertainments here.  However, the College usually helps arrange some social events every year.