"Kennington yea or nay?" Topic

OK, not really wargaming but my wife and I are planning a visit to London in November and are looking at a bed and breakfast in Kennington. I was last in London in 1974, staying in Earl's Court for a week. My wife has never been though her family hails from East Anglia if you go back to Oliver Cromwell and all that.

Just wondering if you chaps can enlighten us on what kind of neighborhood Kennington is. The place we're looking at is a 5 minute walk from the Tube.

On the list to visit: Imperial War Museum, Tower (she's been reading Wolf Hall and I want to see the Agincourt diorama), National Gallery, the Tate, etc, Stonehenge and Canterbury Cathedral among others.

Crime statistics Kennington
Violence : 28
Sexual offence: 2
Robbery: 9
Burglary: 10
Car theft: 4
Theft from cars: 10

The data above refers to offences per 1000 population per year

It is an up and coming area of London, south of. The river but served by 3? Tube lines
Bc1745

Are those high crime stats for London, medium or low? Thanks for your answer.

The stats for my home precinct in NYC are higher than that but are not adjusted per 1,000 population, which I can't find.

NYC has been comparatively tame of late, compared to the wild days of the 70's.

Not to be confused with Kensington then.

I wonder what its crime statistics are?

Like a lot of London, it is a bit of a hole but with some ridiculously expensive property. Not an area I would want to walk about at night in.

If the place you are planning to stay at is on a main road you should be OK. Avoid the side streets! If you live in New York you should be comfortable avoiding the drunks and weirdos that hang around tube stations and stuff. That is common to all major cities, isn't it?

Yeah, don't confuse it with Kensington! It's a common mistake….

I lived in Lambeth, an area right next to Kennington, for five years and only moved out last year. During my time there I had no problems, but just like any part of a big city there are areas that are fine and some areas that are not so fine. Occasionally I had someone pestering me for loose change, but that was about it and I guess that happens just about everywhere.

The big draw for Kennington, in terms of transport, is that you are only four tube stops from to the centre of London (Leicester Square station) and it takes less than 10 minutes to get there. Waterloo station is only one stop away and close to the Imperial War Museum.

Also close to Waterloo station are my following recommendations:

Ian Allan Bookshop (has a good selection of military books): link

Dark Sphere Games Shop: darksphere.co.uk

Corner Cafe, Lambeth (does excellent full English breakfasts and only a few doors down from Dark Sphere): link

Laughing Gravy Restaurant (very nice place to eat): thelaughinggravy.co.uk

And, if you can sneak out on a Thursday evening, there is the Exiles club that I go to. Great if you can drop by for a game and we would even buy you a drink or two: link

Please let me know if you need any more help or tips on your visit over to London.

Ezza

Kennington is a dump, I have done a lot of 'reassurance' foot patrols in the area after gang related shootings/stabbings.

Avoid the Elephant and Castle area.

There are far nicer places to stay in London, if it is a cheap deal then there is a very good reason for it!

Good advice so far.

Like a lot of London you have serious money next door to real deprivation. Kennington is an area in transition. You can walk around at night without a bother but keep your wits about you. For that matter you could walk to the Imperial War Museum from there.

Also buy an Oyster Card each from almost any News Agent shop it will save you a lot of money on transport and allow you to use the buses as they no longer take cash.

If you go to the National Gallery you might like to drop into the Harp pub 5 minutes away or if you would like lunch try the Cork and Bottle Wine Bar also near by.

For a taste of old London try Gordon's Wine Bar on Villiers Street near embankment Tube. Or the French House on Greek Street in Soho its where the French Resistance used to meet.

If you go to the Tate Modern there is a full size replica of one of Drake's ships near by.

Have a great time.

I agree with Oh on the Harp pub ( harpcoventgarden.com ) and Gordon's Wine bar ( gordonswinebar.com ) . Well worth a visit to both.

Ezza

One thing I've come to realise aeems unique to some UK urban areas is that catching someone's eye is considered an invitation to violence.

Err yes as in

"wot you looking at mate"

If you catch someone's eye, either be prepared to chat them up or respond to violence !!

A guy I worked with got his throat slashed in an east end pub in exactly that situation !

That aside, London is a very welcoming place :)

Thanks for all the advice and information. We shall most likely stay in Kennington. We are not late night club types.

Ezza, I shall see if our schedule allows time for some gaming. Is there something nearby that might interest the missus while I roll them bones?

I'd suggest the Royal Festival Hall might have something on your missus would enjoy.

A few suggestions for your missus if you can get to the Exiles one Thursday are below. All of these venues are close (several are walking distance) to the pub in which we game.

Old Vic Theatre: oldvictheatre.com

New Vic Theatre: newvictheatre.org.uk

British Film Institute at Southbank: link

Southbank Centre: southbankcentre.co.uk

Southbank What's On Guide: southbanklondon.com

London SE1 What's On Guide: london-se1.co.uk/whatson

Ezza

I have heard from my wife, who has friends who have used here, that this location is apparently a good B&B, but I have no personal experience of it.

kenningtonbandb.com

Kennington is like any area of London, its first world and third world living alongside each other – as long as you are sensible and don't wander into a housing estate late at night then you'll be fine. Also, you are close to Camberwell which has excellent restaurants to go out in now.

If you want a game on a Monday, GLC Games Club meets from around 6.30 to 10.00pm every Monday (except Bank Holidays – but there aren't any in November!) at the Conway Hall in Red Lion Square. Nearest underground station is Holborn.