Depends on the part of the North. Funnily enough I've lived in Cardiff too and it really was dryer than my current location. Besides....sheffield isn't THAt far North. Bloody soft Southerners ;)

I'd imagine a lot of it has to do with topography. Parts of Wales certainly get dumped on a lot including Cardif. I'm convinced my current location has that beat though. It's like living in a swamp :(

Taken from a weather site and sadly not very far from me at all. On the plus side property is cheap here! :D

Avoid the airport hotels. The prices are extortionate, especially if you don't reserve a room in advance. It's better to find a smaller, less extravagant hotel which is closer to the attractions, instead of being 20 miles away paying more than £200/night in the Hilton.

The biggest problem with London is that it's full of foreigners :1orglaugh

Watch out for Jack the Ripper, too!

http://www.hotels-london.co.uk/image...front-text.jpg

Actually, that's one of the best things about London. The fact that people from all over the world live here and Just Get Along is fantastic. It's the occasional backward little areas outside London that I hate, populated by ignorant, ill-educated bigots hell-bent on protecting their peculiar perceptions of a static, insular and xenophic society. /rant

Venus, if you'd like a quick zoom around the highlights of central London's sights and pubs from a local, hit me up - I love showing visitors around! (Not if it's raining, though).

yeah don't take a black cab they will rip you off.

Black cabs are fine and are not licenced..more like never take a mini cab in central London and *especially* if they are roaming the streets looking for passangers because that is illegal and risky.

Don't eat anywhere where there's tourists. You'll get 2nd class food for 1st class prices and then some. You'll get food that will only fill you up, but nothing that will make you stand up and yodel.
Got back couple of days ago after visiting my sister. Last time I was pretty lucky in finding decent resturants (nothing spectacular though). This time every single place I went to sucked BAD.

Brick Lane is great! go with a few people and and watch as shop owners/employees bargain for your business. Most offer around 20% off the bill and first few rounds of drinks free also

Matt

Well. The educated/ non-Muslim people get along fine.
But if you happen to go to Whitechapel and the surrounding area you may well have been stopped by a car full of Muslim lads who will then tell you to "get out, this is Muslim land". I have, and so have many of the people I do business with in that area.
And if you go to Speakers Corner you would be treated to a sermon informing us all that Islam will rule the UK and that all white people will be killed. So it's not all rosy.

If you are a fitness buff check out one of my faves One Aldwich Beautiful hotel with a nice 24 hour gym.

If the Gym isn't necessary I definitely recommend #5 Maddox. http://www.living-rooms.co.uk/