In London for 6 months

May I suggest you get a copy of either Rick's book on Great Britain or England. This will answer all of your questions and give you ideas of things to see.

A very big question! And one that I would, in all honesty, be afraid to answer and be able to do it justice.

However, I would advise you to do some reading, obtain some UK based guidebooks (sorry RS!). They will be more tailored to slow travel with a lot more detail. Also google, google, google and take advantage of "street view" on google maps.

Then make headings of the things that interest you and underneath list the places that will deliver. With luck there will be a fair bit of overlap. After that you could come back and test your ideas with other people

On the whole the train service between the major cities/towns is fast and usually comfortable. It will be expensive if you don't book in advance which I'm afraid does cut down on spontaneous trips. If you are going to travel outside London investigate things like the Brit Rail train pass and the Great British Heritage
http://www.visitbritain.com/en/things-to-see-and-do/interests/history-and-heritage/great-british-heritage-pass/

Pleased to help further if I can

What a treat! I envy you. Do a google search on "markets" and the cities/towns/villages you think you might visit. Some have very good markets of various types (food/crafts/antiques/etc.)on certain days of the weeks or dates in the month. Also check festivals and events. I'd suggest you check out this site: http://www.visitbritain.com/ it is the "official" tourist site for the UK and is very good about what is available in each part of the country/city/etc. You might also want to see if your public libray has copies of any of the following magzines: Realm, Scotland, In Britain, or Britain. They have excellent articles. What are your interests? If you love gardens for example, you could do a search on that.

The trains in Britain are expensive- you might want to think about buses. Buses are popular and cheap. National Express is the main service, and they go all over the country.

The trains in Britain are expensive- you might want to think about buses. Buses are popular and cheap. National Express is the main service, and they go all over the country.

Check the fares for "Cheap Day Return" train tickets. They're not bad at all, and might open up possibilities for day trips. For example, Oxford (from Paddington Station) and Canterbury (from Victoria) are only a quick train trip away, leaving plenty of time for sightseeing.

If you'll be doing a lot of independent touring, you might want to visit the National Map Centre at 22-24 Caxton Street for the best selection of city and town street maps. The nearest Tube stop is St. James' Park. Exit the station to Palmer Street, turn left, then right on Caxton Street.

Also, take a look at The Original London Walks http://www.walks.com/. They offer 2-hour in-depth guided walking tours in London and all-day guided Explorer Days out of town. I've been on most of their walks and Explorer Days and have never been disappointed. The walks cost 7GBP, and if you buy a Walkabout Card when you pay for your first one, subsequent walks cost 5GBP. Explorer Days are 12GBP (11GBP for Walkabout Card holders) plus train fare (always the lowest possible fare) and entrance fees.

Think about Kew Gardens, too. It's accessible by Tube (quick but boring) or by boat (slow but interesting in warm, clear weather). Over a six-month stay, you would have a rare opportunity to see changes in the gardens through a couple of seasons. Kew Palace is well worth touring, too. If you'll be in London as soon as early May, the bluebells at Kew are not to be missed!

Enjoy!

I second the suggesstion about Kew Gardens. They are wonderful any time of year. Starting in late Nov. and early Dec. they have special Christmas displays and activities. If you think you will enjoy them, look into a long term pass. I still think trains are the best way to get about in the UK. There are lots of special deals that you will see posted once you get there. You could also look into a BritRail pass- but for this long of a trip, I don't think it would be feasable. Please private message me if you are interested in day trips out of London- I can give you a link to an article I wrote. We have been to the UK more than 40 times in 20 years.

Thanks for all your replies. We just arrived in London this week and due to the fact that we were only given 1 months notice, most of my guide books from our previous visit last Sept were packed up and put in storage. :( So I have been googling my heart out. I will definitely be looking in to bus vs. train and the tip about booking train tickets in advance is appreciated. Thanks again!

Here are a couple more ideas for things to do in your free time. Presumably your husband will have weekends, and some long holiday weekends, off from work?

If so, the two of you might find the HF Holidays' Short Breaks interesting and affordable http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/. Travel to their country house hotels can by via either train or National Express bus.

And don't forget that the EuroStar (www.eurostar.com/dynamic) departs from St. Pancras Station in the Euston Road, and arrives in Paris in less than two and a half hours, making a day-trip to Paris (or Calais, Lille or Brussels) feasible, but kind of pricey. The fare is lower if you stay at least one night, but not enough lower to pay for a night's lodging.