Things to do in London that tourist books don't mention

I'm going to be in London for a week visiting a friend (who has very different taste than me), and I wanted to get suggestions as to where to go/what to do, in addition to your average London touristy thing like the tower etc.

To my Toronto peeps...i'm thinking Kensington Market, old style Queen West, Horseshoe Tavern type things and atmosphere

...vintage shops, small but important bars, ghosts tours etc...
Thoughts and suggestions????

Hi there, a few ideas, mostly central/east London based because that’s where I live and I’m biased!:
- A cemetery tour: there are some great, slightly spooky, old Victorian cemetaries in London – Highgate in the North has Karl Marx’s gave (and other famous people) but entry is only via £5 tour. Nunhead in the south has thousands of ivy-covered angel headstones, a ruined chapel and entry is free – there are free 2 hour tours on the last Sunday of the month
- Brick lane / Up Market – a cool area, on Sundays the locals bring out their unwanted stuff and sell it off blankets on the road. There are always hot food stalls offering whatever cuisine you could dream of, and often buskers. The Upmarket sells vintage / retro clothes and locally made crafts, jewellery and clothing, and there is a vintage market upstairs (the whole area is littered with great, but sometimes not cheap, vintage shops)
- Depending on when you’re around the Bethnal Green workingmen’s club has great themed nights with burlesque, 60s and rockabilly themes, lots of dancing and live music, fancy dress is compulsory
- Indie bingo at the Queen of Hoxton – bingo made cool again!
- Museum of everything – a gallery in Camden which exhibits art by ‘marginalised’ artists on the edge of society, who may have schizophrenia, be homeless, or loners.
- There are tons of Jack the Ripper tours that take you (some at night time) around his old neighbourhood and murder scenes in Whitechapel
Enjoy your trip!

Thanks! that's the idea i was going for!!! definitely jack the ripper tour, the night activities sound interesting and the cemetary as well! I'm excited for camden as well

cheers

Kensington market no longer exists.

Zuleika wrote:Kensington market no longer exists.

I think he was actually referring to the Kensington Market in Toronto as being an example of the type of thing he's hoping to find.

ooops - sorry - I didnt realise!

I'd suggest going to Camden Market (easily accessible via the underground ) which is the heartland of gothic subculture in London. It's a bohemian place with lots of live bands and music, fetish and goth scenes, crazy fashions and even half a cadillac car sticking out of a shop that looks like it just crashed there. It's known for its Irish session pub music scene too. Besides wandering into TGI Fridays near Picadilly/Leicester Square for a cheesecake, you could wander round Soho, another area your tourist guide might not mention.