Retire in Paradise

London is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, and a great place for taking London weekend breaks. But you can only have so many weekend breaks in London before you become freaked out by all the tourists, so why not try to discover some of London that nobody else knows about.

It is a well known fact that the British Museum is stunning to visit, but if you want to escape the camera clicking tourists, why not try the Hunterian Museum? It is a museum with a difference, there is no charge to get in, and it is one of the best kept secrets in London.

Talk about a best kept secret, this museum is part of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and quite recently 3 million was spent on upgrading this facility. It is bizarre to say the least, but if the strange and bizarre pique your curiosity, a visit to the Hunterian is a must. You find such odd items as the dentures of Winston Churchill, surgical instruments dating back to time immemorial and bits of body parts and other strange things pickle in glass containers. It is free of charge to visit and it is definitely a must-see attraction.

The Chilsehurst Caves was one of the places where displaced families sought refuge during the London Blitz. It consists of 22 miles of caves, but they are caves with a difference as they are man-made. The tour guide speaks of the world above as being topside and takes you on a 45 minute long tour of the caves explaining the importance of cave to the Kent Mushroom Co, the Romans and Druids.

Then there is the “Secret Cinema”, and if you have found that cinema-going has lost its charm in today’s world of exorbitant cinema tickets and multiplexes, but you like the big screen. This could be your excuse to take even more weekend breaks in London. Join this secret society and once a month you are invited to a screening at an unusual destination. You don’t know what film you will see until you arrive, which makes this all the more fun, and recent titles include Gus Van Sant’s “Paranoid Park” which was shown inside a disused railway tunnel.