Berkhamsted Police station is ideally situated right in the centre of town making it an easy place…read moreto visit. It serves more of a station within which the Police work rather than a public building for visit. There are fairly limited opening hours that should be observed before planning a trip to the station. There are no cells in use either, with the nearest large police station in Hemel. When the station is open a civilian member of staff mans the desk, who is always helpful and able to point you in the right direction or take details or information and get you in touch with a police officer.

I had the distinct pleasure of being invited to the House of Commons to attend the launch of my…read moreaunt's book. She's spent years researching the history of Catholic Goans and essentially mapped out the forces that led to the spread of Goans throughout most of Europe and Africa (and most notably out of Goa). Apparently, one of the MPs is a Goan and a big supporter of her work. To be honest, when I first read the book title (Colonialism, Migration, and the International Catholic Goan Community) I wasn't really drawn in but after hearing the speakers about the book I can't wait to read it. Anyways, enough of a plug, to the House! We've all seen Westminster Palace from the outside (and if you haven't, get over there!) but I gotta tell you, it doesn't really measure up to the feeling you get when you enter the cavernous halls with golden walls and arches (the old school Church kind, not the Mickey D's version) and ancient oil paintings of kings, lords, ladies, and other lesser beings. The entrance hall alone (where they hold State receptions that you see on tv) seems to dwarf the Turbine Hall in the Tate Modern and is infinitely more luxurious. The Jubilee Room (located just up the stairs to the right of the entrance) is suitably decadently decorated (and the free flowing wine helped with that impression). It's fairly small, but you can see it works well as a private reception room or committee meeting room. Every room has two mini tvs (one for the House of Lords and one for the House of Commons) which keeps people apprised of the current happenings in each of the two Houses. We even got a tour up to the House of Commons to see them in session. To be fair, it was late and they were talking about a Finance Bill (which I can't imagine to be that exciting), but given that it's their jobs I expected more than a handful of MPs to be there and those that were there to not be taking a nap. Credit to the lady MP from Kingston upon Hull who kept at her speech regardless but it was a bit of a let down. I would have loved to have been there for PMQs though! Overall, it's a beautiful place and makes me want to be an MP just to go to work there. I'm not one for sightseeing and I've been known to jog through a museum or two, but as far as sights to see goes, this one is a must for London.

The home of British democracy! Did you know you can just turn up, for free, and get into the…read moredebating chamber? You are behind toughened glass to prevent you throwing flour or anything more dangerous at the UK's elected representatives, but you're still super close to MPs and Ministers. Where else in the world can you get access to such an old and historic building for free, and then get to see real politics in action?

The civic centre, hosts a number of free and paid events throughout the year…read more The staff will avoid eye contact and will try and not hear you, so you have to be persistant otherwise you just wont be served and make sure you get there early otherwise you'll have to keep coming over as they have limited staff all the time.

Holding one of the world's largest glitter balls, or so I was told, Stoke Newington Town Hall is an…read moreamazing venue for Weddings, Tea-parties, Plays, Music nights and Literary festivals. The permanent venue staff are amazingly helpful and accommodating, even down to wearing the themed colours for your event (if a weekend hire). The down side is that whilst weddings can be booked up to 18 months in advance other events can only be booked 12 months in advance meaning that even annual events have to shift out of the way for someone's special day. In all the times I have spent in the Town Hall, learning the secret back routes and admiring the WW2 camoflage that still graces the outside of the building, I have never felt unwelcome, merely under-dressed for the restored Art Deco beauty and the original cloakrooms (turned bathrooms) of the building.

The best venue in London for weddings & private hire. Extremely helpful & efficient staff namely…read morethe events team! Beautiful & well kept spaces very much recommend.

Constructed between 1974 and 1982, the Thames Barrier enables the city of London to keep the Thames…read morefrom flooding the city. And that people, is a good thing! The visit includes a 22 acre park and you can see some of the structure from the inside along with information about the water itself and some of the species that live in the water. The complex is in London itself but not anywhere downtown so you'll have to get there via a taxi or possibly the tube although I'm not 100% sure if it goes all the way out there - I visited this with my middle school years ago. It was fun and definitely something different that most tourists overlook.

The museum was ok but it was quit small, but did teach you valuable information about the Thames…read moreBarrier and why it was built. It's good for children really there are interactive games to play which are on the walls and there are a lot of different buttons to press which kept me going for ages. It did not take long to get there but it is not very well sign posted. It did not take long to get round about 30mins, but there was a film which we watched which was about the building of the barrier.

How can one be a fan of the Home Office Immigration & Nationality Directorate, you might ask?…read more Well, accustomed to mediocre and sluggish service when it comes to the public sector, I was pleasantly surprised by the efficient, helpful, and friendly service I received on a recent visit. Anticipating my afternoon being whittled away in a waiting room somewhere in Croydon, I came prepared with a plethora of reading materials from which to choose. However, none of this was needed. I arrived and went through the security check after a friendly and helpful exchange with the guards. I immediately walked up to a reception window and received further instructions on where to go by a receptionist. Another security guard in front of the stairwell greeted me charmingly and provided even further information on how to find my way within the building. I found where I needed to be with ease and sat down to wait. Just as I got out a book to read, my number was called, and I went to speak with an agent. This meeting proceeded seamlessly, and I returned to the waiting area to wait for results. I overheard a couple people complaining about a wait, and took out a book for what I assumed was surely the wait time I anticipated. But to my delight, my number was again called in less than 10 minutes. I spoke to another smiling agent, received some paperwork, and was told I could go on my way. I wonder how much my pleasant experience was due to racial differences (i.e., the difference between being an 'expat' and an 'immigrant', with Western, native-English speakers given undue respect in comparison to 'others'), but I nevertheless had a much more pleasant experience than I was anticipating. That said, I still haven't heard back from the government about my visa.

One would expect to see Miss Marple in this church and that's the sort of church I like! I attend…read morethe Sunday Service if I've nothing else on. The Vicar, Father Andrew Cain is very nice and so is the Australian Mother Cargill. As I've not been baptised I go forward for a blessing rather than to take Communion. I think it's quite well decorated inside but I know some long-standing worshippers think it could do with a bit of repair. Yes, I enjoy the theatre of it all and it's uplifting on a Sunday morning. The hymns are projected onto screens which is so much better than rifling through a hymnbook. Sometimes I get talking to a few other members of the congregation. One can go for a coffee next door afterwards but I'm not that much of a mixer. Yes, West Hampstead and Kilburn wouldn't be nowhere near as complete without this church.

Merely four stops away on the 56 or 4 bus routes, or a pleasant 15 minute walk past City…read moreUniversity, the India Visa office is conveniently located in The Angel, in Central London. Rather than busying yourself with the rigamarole of the Indian High Commission in Aldwych, you should *definitely* pay a visit to this cute little office just off Angel's Upper Street. Its only function is to provide you with a visa (any visa) to go to India, be you tourist or jetsetting business person. Inside they have: - One non-smiling (but very helpful) receptionist/ticket-giver - One coin-operated photocopier - One computer for last-minute online applications - One photobooth (specializing in the Indian visa's particular passport picture sizes) - One vending machine - One hundred straight-backed chairs - Three loos (male, female, accessible) - Twelve counters, each manned by a smiley brown person - One travel information counter - Two ticketing screens with Bollywood adverts My favourite thing about this office is how easy the staff make the Indian Visa application process -- as long as you're not expecting the glitz of an Embassy, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised with the service. When they say "There's a problem with your application," they talk you through how to fix it. When they see you apply for visas almost every other year, they tell you how you could save money by applying for a one-year or 5-year visa. Most importantly, when they say "Your passport will be ready for collection in 3-4 business days, please check our website," your newly-visaed passport really is ready in such a short time. I like how well-informed and well-organized the little office community are. My only problem is the décor and general appearance of the offices -- they haven't been refurbished since the late 90s/early noughties, and it seems a shame they don't have somewhere for the kids to play while the parents wait for their passports. Would come again Would recommend to a friend Am encouraging you to take a trip to India!

This place does a perfectly fine job of what it's supposed to do. And that is provide somewhere for…read morethe final stage of the headache-inducing process that is getting a visa for India. If you're heading here you've probably already been on the fairly unhelpful website whose links send you round in circles. You will have completed the temperamental online application form. You will have torn your hair out trying to find somewhere that takes 2in x 2in photos rather than the standard passport sized ones, and winced when they cost you at least £7. You will have winced again at the £90 cost of the visa. You will have been told to download the mysteriously undownloadable checklist before you come to the centre. And you may even have tried to book an appointment at the centre and found the next one isn't for a fortnight. None of which is the fault of this place, but does explain why stress levels seem to be elevated when you arrive. Luckily it should be straightforward from here. They take applications from 8.30am to 2.30pm and after a nightmare lunchtime visit last time I went for an early morning attempt which proved better. On arrival you'll see The Queue of Tension snaking out the office door - appointment or not, everyone has to join this. The front dozen lucky people even get to stand inside the building. Tension peaks upon reaching The Desk of Determination, where 2 very helpful gents have the unenviable task of telling everyone what's immediately wrong with their application. Perhaps a third of the queue is turned away here (usually a wrongly sized photo or they need extra documents if applying for someone else). Another third get given extra instructions (usually to sign the form or glue their photo on with the pritt stick in the corner). The final third get an approving nod that triggers a rush of relief (this was me, phew). You'll then be given a ticket number and waved through to the The Room of The Painfully Long Wait. Take a seat, you're going nowhere fast. I'd say bring a book as the signs say no electronic devices, but the vast majority of people were typing on phones without anyone objecting. People-watching is also good fun (and mentally guessing the purpose of everyone's trip!). I did actually bring a book and almost fell into the trap of getting so absorbed in the story that I missed my number eek! They have toilets, a vending machine, a glue stick and a photo booth (though if you didn't bring pics, the one at the newsagent down the road is cheaper). All appointments get a fast-track counter and there's maybe 7-9 others open for everyone else (which is most people given how limited the appts are). Expect the ticket numbers to count up at approx one per minute as a rule of thumb. It's almost impossible to resist a fist pump when it gets to your turn, and it takes about 5mins at the very efficient counter then you're done. To give you an idea, for a plain vanilla tourist visa I joined The Queue at about 8.30am, reached The Desk at just after 9, and was seen at a counter at about 10.15 so make sure you allow enough time. With the benefit of hindsight I'd say get there half an hour earlier, triple check what you need to bring (esp a second photo!), don't bring your kids and pick up a coffee en route!