Top Travel Tips!

Here is some rather exciting news, for me. I am reading at The London Poetry Festival. And here's the website: http://www.londonpoetryfestival.com/index.htm

This is all thanks to Claire Askew, of the very nice One Night Stanzas, http://www.readthismagazine.co.uk/onenightstanzas/

So here's the rub. I required accommodation in fairly central London, as the Festival takes place by Waterloo Station. So I could have stayed with Mother, except taking the last District Line tube train home on Friday and Saturday nights not too appealing (you go through Whitechapel, Mile End and, horror, Plaistow), especially since my younger brother appears to specialise in getting his teeth knocked out whilst minding his own business on this route. Also, someone would then have to collect me from the station.

Next, obviously, London friends. Now I don't know about you, but I'm really not very good at sociability when I'm about to do anything like read my own poetry, or in fact, for the whole ten hours before I'm about to do anything like read my own poetry in front of an audience. I mask it pretty well, but my mind's not actually there with the person I'm with. It's thinking about what's to come. In short, I'd rather be doing a Garbo.

Which leaves the hotel option, and my top travel tip.

If you search for a budget 3-day break in Central London in a 3* hotel in August, I reckon about the cheapest you'll find is £100 a night, quite possibly without breakfast. And some of them even want to stick a single supplement on you.

Fancy an upgrade? Then get online and book yourself a London Theatre Break. So instead of £300 for a 3*, I am staying 3 nights for a grand total of £200 with Full English Breakfast at a super-dooper 4* hotel, the online price of which (Official Site for Best Rates!) is £405 without breakfast.

Best tip is when you book your show, keep trying for one that's not available on the date you want, and then they offer you exhibitions instead. So for my £200 I've also got a ticket for The Tower of London with admission to the "Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill" exhibition, allowing me to come over all David Starkey as well.

And yes, I know it's extravagant but hey, I'm not a student anymore. I have four children, two jobs and a shift-working husband. Allow me a little luxury ........ once in a while.

And if my travel tip is not very top, don't let me know. It's things like this that keep me sane.