Welcome Drink
There will be a welcome 'drinks and nibbles' immediately after the end of the talks late afternoon on Tuesday (10/09/24). This will be combined with the Poster Session.
Workshop dinner
The workshop dinner will be held on the Wednesday (11/09/24) at the Ognisko restaurant. Aim to be there at 7.00 for 7.30. It will be a stand-up Dinner, to enable participants to mingle with each other. There will be plentiful food. A Google map showing the location of the venue can be found here.
The simplest way to walk there from Imperial's Blackett buiding is: Exit Blackett onto Prince Consort Rd, turn right and walk to the end (about 300 metres). Turn right onto Exhibition Rd, and Ognisko is on the left at 55 Exhibition Rd.
Food on campus, Restaurants and Pubs
There are several food outlets located near the Sherfield building which is just a short indoor walk from the workshop lecture theatre. This is very convenient for the lunch breaks. The food is reasonably priced but not spectacular. Some outlets also shut outside of term time so choice might be limited. Vegetarian/vegan options are available.
There are a wide variety of restaurant within 15 minutes walk of the Physics Department at Imperial College. These are clustered around South Kensington and Gloucester Road tube stations. A Google map listing the restaurants, with reviews and showing their locations can be found here.
Similarly, there are a variety of good pubs in the area. The closest is the Queens Arms. While this is a good pub it can become a little crowded when there are events at Imperial and often people have to stand. Alternatively, the Gloucester Arms pub which is slightly further away tends to have a bit more space and there is more chance of setting a seat there. A Google map showing the locations of the pubs can be found here.
Cultural and entertainment venues
Imperial College is surrounded by cultural institutions. There are three world-class museums (The Science Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum and The Natural History Museum) within 10 minutes walk of the Physics Department. These can be seen on a Google map here. Admission is free for these museums but it is advisable to book a free ticket online before you visit to avoid having to queue to get in (the Science Museum explicitly requires this for admission).
There is the internationally renowned Royal Albert Hall concert hall within about 5 minutes walk from the physics Department. Every summer a classical music festival called the BBC Proms is held here, the last week of which of which overlaps with the workshop. Tickets will go on sale from the 18th of May here. It is also possible to book standing tickets on the day for under £10. These 'promming' tickets can be booked either online or in person at the box office from 10.30am on the day.
Parks
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are about 5 minutes walk from Imperial College. There are pleasant walks there, including along water of the Serpentine. By the Serpentine Gallery (www.serpentinegalleries.org) is the Summer Pavillion, a temporary structure each year designed by a well-known architect
Transport in London
Public transport is very convenient in London, with the oldest underground railway system in the world ('the Tube'), and an extensive bus network, served by the red double-decker vehicles that are famous around the world.
The closest underground stations to the University are Gloucester Road or South Kensington (both are about a 10 minute walk away).
Most contactless credit cards and mobile phone payment methods can be used directly to touch in and out of stations as well as buses (touch-in only for buses, with free transfers possible within one hour), with a daily or weekly fare capping applying, so that you do not need to buy a day ticket in order to save money. See the TfL website for more information. It is possible to buy paper tickets for the underground from machines at the station if you aren't able to use contactless.
The River Bus is another wonderful way to explore the city, with Cadogan Pier being closest to the Imperial College area.
Football
London is home to no less than 13 professional football clubs, including famous names from the Premier League that need no introduction, such as Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Whilst Premier League match tickets are quite difficult for non-supporters to secure, it is much easier to buy tickets for teams that are in the lower divisions. In particular, Queens Park Rangers, in the second tier of English football, play at Loftus Road, which is easy to reach from the Imperial College area and is a wonderful example of a traditional English football ground.
