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Subject: Gameshops in london 
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Fellow gamers, I am in London for two days for work. I don't know if I'll have time but I would love to visit a game store. Can you recomienda one? I am pretty far from the city in Canary wharf but will travel.
Thanks in advance
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abendoso wrote:Fellow gamers, I am in London for two days for work. I don't know if I'll have time but I would love to visit a game store. Can you recomienda one? I am pretty far from the city in Canary wharf but will travel.What are you looking to do there? If it's just browse the selection and buy games, then Orcs Nest (http://orcsnest.com/) is the most central and probably easier to get to from Canary Wharf. They are a little expensive though
Thanks in advance
If it's to browse games and play then Leisure Games (http://www.leisuregames.com/) is further out but a better prospect for people to play with.
If it's just to play games, then a games shop is not what you really need in London, you would most certainly be welcome along at London on Board (http://www.meetup.com/LondonOnBoard/)
Hope that helps!
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It's not a full-on game shop, more of a hobby shop that sells (about 20 to 30) games, but Compendia is a short walk from Canary Wharf.
Essentially, head South down the isle and walk through the Greenwich foot tunnel which will take you to Greenwich and it's in the market square which will be at your 11 o'clock as you come out of the tunnel entrance.
Also, it's well worth taking in London on Board if you get the chance!
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I was there a couple of tears ago. Really sorry i can't remeber names. My brother lives in Walthamstow and he directed me to an excellent one not far from there. I'm wracking my brain but cannot remember what it was called. Orcsnest is worth the visit. Only a small shop but its they really use the space. If you go to the British Museum as you leave the museum and off to the right is a quiet little street with a boardgame shop. Worth a visit if in the area.
Sent my bro a message for name of first shop,will post it here if he replies.
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- Soren Vejrum(vejrum)United Kingdom
Richmond
SurreyLondon On Board - the largest semi-organised group of boardgaming dicks in the known universe. -
Tiddleydwarf wrote:I was there a couple of tears ago. Really sorry i can't remeber names. My brother lives in Walthamstow and he directed me to an excellent one not far from there. I'm wracking my brain but cannot remember what it was called. Orcsnest is worth the visit. Only a small shop but its they really use the space. If you go to the British Museum as you leave the museum and off to the right is a quiet little street with a boardgame shop. Worth a visit if in the area.The shop near British Museum is no longer there.
Sent my bro a message for name of first shop,will post it here if he replies.
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Tiddleydwarf wrote:I was there a couple of tears ago. Really sorry i can't remeber names. My brother lives in Walthamstow and he directed me to an excellent one not far from there. I'm wracking my brain but cannot remember what it was called. Orcsnest is worth the visit. Only a small shop but its they really use the space. If you go to the British Museum as you leave the museum and off to the right is a quiet little street with a boardgame shop. Worth a visit if in the area.Playin' Games is the shop that was near the British Museum. Closed down about 2 years ago.
Sent my bro a message for name of first shop,will post it here if he replies.
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Tiddleydwarf wrote:I was there a couple of tears ago.I'm sorry to hear that it was such an upsetting experience!
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If you're willing to use the underground, Leisuregames are great people and really not that far out of the city. I drop in to say hi when I'm in London since they've spent so long as my FOGS :)
edit; they also have the benefit of having a great number of interesting older titles that are otherwise quite difficult to find.
B>
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- Last edited Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:17 pm (Total Number of Edits: 1)
Posted Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:03 pm
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- I liked Orc's Nest, last time I was in London.
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sweetsweetdoughnuts wrote:It's not a full-on game shop, more of a hobby shop that sells (about 20 to 30) games, but Compendia is a short walk from Canary Wharf.you could walk, but much quicker to take the DLR from Canary Wharf to Greenwich
Essentially, head South down the isle and walk through the Greenwich foot tunnel which will take you to Greenwich and it's in the market square which will be at your 11 o'clock as you come out of the tunnel entrance.
Also, it's well worth taking in London on Board if you get the chance!
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When I am London I typically measure my location in terms of tube stops to Orc's Nest. Dead easy to get to from Canary Wharf as well.
Last Sunday I was a mere one tube stop away but had to stay on the line as I was on my way to catch a train.
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Forbidden Planet http://forbiddenplanet.com/ on Shaftesbury Avenue has a small selection of games.
They have recently moved the games section from downstairs (where I preferred it) to upstairs near the Doctor Who stuff.
cheers
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fairfaxx wrote:OH, the MOVED it? Nice of them to put a sign up or something
They have recently moved the games section from downstairs (where I preferred it) to upstairs near the Doctor Who stuff.
I noticed the games shelf was dwindling rapidly then eventually vanished, I just assumed they'd decided to stop stocking boxed games and just sell RPG books
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Leisure Games (mentioned elsewhere in the thread) is a vast shop with a HUGE selection of games, including older titles. It's great for browsing and buying, but is some way from central-east London on the train/tube. Not sure how they are for wargames (I notice you have lots), but they have tonnes of other games and accessories.
Orcs Nest is closer and has two small floors packed with games, but it is smaller than Leisure Games and doesn't consistently keep titles in stock. It's a bit of a pot luck what you'll find in there. They have a wall upstairs filled with wargames.
Forbidden Planet is a geek culture store. Loads of Star Wars figures, fan t-shirts, and sci-fi/fantasy themed boardgames. They usually have a full range of Munchkin expansions, for example, but don't expect to find a Renaissance-themed euro or historical wargame in there. It's a must-see if you want to pick up some signed zombie novels, an Angry Birds figurine, some Alien memorabilia and a light saber with your board games. I recently bought an 'Evil needs candy too' t-shirt for the gym from Forbidden Planet.
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- Last edited Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:52 pm (Total Number of Edits: 2)
Posted Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:43 pm
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veemonroe wrote:Leisure Games (mentioned elsewhere in the thread) is a vast shop with a HUGE selection of games, including older titles. It's great for browsing and buying, but is someway from central-east London on the train/tube.Well, straight up the Northern line to Finchley Central, out of the station and 'round the corner. Not a complicated trip.
B>
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thepackrat wrote:50 minutes each way from Canary Wharf... So that's almost a two-hour round trip!veemonroe wrote:Leisure Games (mentioned elsewhere in the thread) is a vast shop with a HUGE selection of games, including older titles. It's great for browsing and buying, but is someway from central-east London on the train/tube.Well, straight up the Northern line to Finchley Central, out of the station and 'round the corner. Not a complicated trip.
B>
You can't pop across there during a long lunch hour or anything!
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You clearly need to work on your lunch hours :)
B>
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- www.shiregames.co.uk is a great choice.
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kinekor02 wrote:www.shiregames.co.uk is a great choice.I think you might be confusing 'London' with 'England'. Shire Games are in Stoke on Trent
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spoon_platoon wrote:You'll want to get off at Cutty Sark station for Compendia, Greenwich station will leave you with quite a stroll back in the direction you just came.sweetsweetdoughnuts wrote:It's not a full-on game shop, more of a hobby shop that sells (about 20 to 30) games, but Compendia is a short walk from Canary Wharf.you could walk, but much quicker to take the DLR from Canary Wharf to Greenwich
Essentially, head South down the isle and walk through the Greenwich foot tunnel which will take you to Greenwich and it's in the market square which will be at your 11 o'clock as you come out of the tunnel entrance.
Also, it's well worth taking in London on Board if you get the chance!
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- Thanks to everyone, sadly I finished the meetings at eleven pm on Monday and was back at another meetings at 8 am on tuesday. I am Back in Spain now but will surely revisit london soon!
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abendoso wrote:Thanks to everyone, sadly I finished the meetings at eleven pm on Monday and was back at another meetings at 8 am on tuesday. I am Back in Spain now but will surely revisit london soon!But this has been great advice for my forthcoming trip to London.
It's a pity Playin' Games has closed, but hopefully I can wheedle a trip out to Leisure Games.
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trif wrote:Say hi for me if you get out there. They're probably wondering where my torrent of orders went. :)abendoso wrote:Thanks to everyone, sadly I finished the meetings at eleven pm on Monday and was back at another meetings at 8 am on tuesday. I am Back in Spain now but will surely revisit london soon!But this has been great advice for my forthcoming trip to London.
It's a pity Playin' Games has closed, but hopefully I can wheedle a trip out to Leisure Games.
B>
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trif wrote:It's a shame they closed as they had really good staff and reasonable stock. Orc's Nest is OK but I won't go there now but maybe it has changed. It is also a short walk from Forbidden Planet.abendoso wrote:Thanks to everyone, sadly I finished the meetings at eleven pm on Monday and was back at another meetings at 8 am on tuesday. I am Back in Spain now but will surely revisit london soon!But this has been great advice for my forthcoming trip to London.
It's a pity Playin' Games has closed, but hopefully I can wheedle a trip out to Leisure Games.
Leisure Games is by far the best, excellent staff and a lot of stock. If you can put up with the 40mins or so tube and walk from Central London it may be worth it. It is where I go anyway even though it adds a lot of time to my journey.
Unfortunately UK retail rent and rates are very high where there is a decent footfall so game shops are as rare as hens teeth.
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- Last edited Tue Jul 3, 2012 3:01 am (Total Number of Edits: 1)
Posted Tue Jul 3, 2012 3:00 am
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Halfinger wrote:"trif"][q="abendoso"]Thanks to everyone, sadly I finished the meetings at eleven pm on Monday and was back at another meetings at 8 am on tuesday. I am Back in Spain now but will surely revisit london soon!But this has been great advice for my forthcoming trip to London.
It's a pity Playin' Games has closed, but hopefully I can wheedle a trip out to Leisure Games.[/q wrote:Orcs Nest is better than it was, they have a nice lady who works there now who is much more approachable and knowledgeable and nowhere near as abrasive as the usual employees. They are still tragically overpriced but it's a decent place if you really want to find something now.
It's a shame they closed as they had really good staff and reasonable stock. Orc's Nest is OK but I won't go there now but maybe it has changed. It is also a short walk from Forbidden Planet.
Leisure Games is by far the best, excellent staff and a lot of stock. If you can put up with the 40mins or so tube and walk from Central London it may be worth it. It is where I go anyway even though it adds a lot of time to my journey.
Unfortunately UK retail rent and rates are very high where there is a decent footfall so game shops are as rare as hens teeth.
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- Last edited Tue Jul 3, 2012 12:17 pm (Total Number of Edits: 1)
Posted Tue Jul 3, 2012 12:17 pm
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