Off-beat London

Article by: Abigail Hole, April 2008

Buckingham, Schmuckingham: go off-piste and explore London's eccentric secrets. Here are 10 of the best.

1 Go on a Bat Walk
Places are sought after on the St James's Park Bat Walks, which take place at dusk and start at Horseguards Parade (tube: Charing Cross); book ahead.

Almost as interesting as the bat spotting itself are your fellow spotters, who range from flappy-eared fanatics to quintessential English gentlemen, all sporting crackly bat detectors. The tension mounts as you circle the lake without spotting a single flying mammal, but as evening falls, the bats oblige by whirring above the trees, provoking a moment of pure wonder.

2 Find gods in Neasden
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (tube: Neasden), the first Hindu temple in Europe, would be amazing anywhere. But in a northwest London suburb, off the North Circular motorway, it's otherworldly. The lace-like marble carving, delicate as flowers, was made by Indian sculptors and then shipped to the UK, where volunteers worked to build the temple from 26,300 carved pieces. Built from 1992 to 1995 and funded entirely by donations, it's a focus for the area's Indian community, but everyone is welcome.

3 Visit Sir John Soane's Museum by candlelight
Sir John Soane's Museum (Lincoln's Inn Fields; tube: Holborn), the 18th-century architect's former home, is a peculiarly British Aladdin's cave. It's at its most magical by candlelight (6-9pm, first Tuesday of the month).

From outside, the museum is a graceful townhouse. Within you'll find a treasure trove, lit by hidden skylights, reflected by mirrors, and topped by a glass dome. Highlights of Soane's crammed-in collection of art, sculpture and antiques include the Egyptian sarcophagus of Seti l and a bevy of Hogarth paintings.

4 Tango at a tea dance
Don your glad rags and get down to the magnificent Old Finsbury Town Hall for Art of the Dog's fabulous tea dance (artofthedog@hotmail.com; 2-5pm, monthly on a Sunday; Rosebery Avenue; tube: Angel). This traditional affair is a dazzling mixture of ages and types, with 40s-styled nouveau sirens outdanced by old ladies in sequins. It's a chance to dust off your waltz, foxtrot and quickstep in gorgeous yet unintimidating surroundings. Don't panic if you've never done it before - lessons are included. Tea, cake, and G&Ts will help put twinkle in your toes.

5 Get kinky at the Torture Garden
'Did they come on the bus? Or even by cab?' you can't help wondering, as another spiked PVC corset or fishnet bodystocking struts past. There aren't many places where you can spot thong-wearing bank managers and people tied up in corners (who always go home early). Wear too many clothes and you'll feel distinctly prudish at the Torture Garden. The world's leading fetish club takes place regularly at Mass, a club in a converted Brixton church (tube: Brixton). Shows to make you go ‘ouch' (such as on-stage piercing) add to the all-round freakiness.

6 Take a bracing dip
Swimming in the Serpentine Lido at Hyde Park is as civilised as cucumber sandwiches. For most, it's a summer activity (open daily, 5 June-11 September), but join the Serpentine Swimming Club and you can swim every day of the year. When the lake is frozen, swimmers break the ice for what must be a brisk dip.

Another top swimming spot is Hampstead Bathing Ponds (Hampstead Heath; open May to September). This rural idyll of a pond is surrounded by London's loveliest woodlands. If you want to swim year round, stiffen your sinews and join Hampstead Swimming Club.

7 Take a Duck Tour
A Duck Tour is a remarkable sightseeing tour in canary-yellow vehicles that drive on the road and float on water. Formerly military vehicles used in the D-Day landings, these Chitty Chitty Bang Bang truck-boat hybrids are each pushing 70 years old. The 75-minute tour trundles around central London, then lurches alarmingly into the Thames to chug low in the water alongside the Houses of Parliament. The entertaining guides combine interesting facts, stand-up comedy and stream-of-consciousness commentary.

8 Join the circus
Nothing builds a six pack like working out on a trapeze, and you no longer have to run away with the circus to get one. The Generating Company (0207 0933 204; Buoy Wharf, E14; DLR: East India) offers courses in trapeze, acrobatics, rope/silks and Chinese pole (tricks on a vertical steel pole), and allows you to sign up for a two-lesson taster.

9 Experience Westminster live
Want to witness all the turmoil and torpor of parliamentary politics? Attend a debate in the Houses of Commons or Lords. Join the queue outside St Stephen's Gate; proceedings are open to both UK and overseas residents. You'll need to apply for a free ticket in advance (UK residents only) for Question Time, when politicians are at their friskiest.

Not many people know that you can visit Big Ben by applying in writing to your MP (UK residents only). You climb 334 vertiginous steps to the bell's hidden lair. After the hour strikes, your ears will be humming for days - but it's a small price to pay for such an adventure.

10 Go boho at the Horse Hospital
This Bloomsbury arts venue (Colonnade; tube: Russell Square) was once - surprise! - a horse hospital. You enter up the slope where the horses once clip-clopped into the building. It might feel like a spooky squat party, but this is London's most avant garde arts centre, with underground art and photography exhibitions and out-there films. Tickets are £7; films are obscure.

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