As you're heading to my neck of the woods and out of the members here in London, I suspect I probably have more experience both because I'm older and go out drinking/socialising more often than most. I wanted to address some of the points you've made in this thread.
Many, if not all venues will have door security performing bag and physical searches for security reasons, such as narcotics, drink and weapons. Most places will have a female door staff member responsible for providing pat downs on women. Don't get offended but it's a possibility. Additionally, most places won't even let a pack of chewing gum in as it means they wind up with it stuck all over the floor. Pre-mixing spirits in to coke or lemonade is fine for drinking outside the venue/bar/club but once you're lining up to enter, that stuff needs to be gone. Frankly the taping a goon bag to your leg is just bloody ridiculous.
This is fair enough. Location will be key, if we're in Central London, you will likely pay more. However, you can minimize this by picking bars and clubs out based on the area we'll be in. Closer to the time (in case of changes) and once I know where exactly we'll be doing things I will be able to scout bars and prices to provide detailed knowledge and help on that front, it will be a tough task but someone will have to go drinking for this.
At the moment, I can provide you an estimate of the range of prices for drinks in London. 2 pints in the Acorn20 (Kingston, work local), will cost me around £7. Shot and Mixer will vary depending on drink but a double shot and mixer will normally cap out at about £4.50 - £6.00. Wine is about £5 - £6 a glass (large). That being said, an expensive bar like The Old Frizzle will cost about £11 for 2 pints and a beer and large wine will cost in excess of £15.
I can't remember who mentioned it but someone indicated that pubs in London may not be able to accommodate a large group of say 50. This is unlikely to be true as many pubs will handle it just fine. Though in some areas it may be ideal for me to arrange a group booking in so we'll have tables and everyone will be able to go in. Of course, as I said in the main thread, if you do not bring ID such as passport, drivers license, european union id card, even if you are over 25, I have little hope of you getting in to a bar or club. This is because many bars now scan your ID not only to verify age but also to have a record of you on file. This means if you commit a crime, or need medical attention from passing out etc they can provide the relevant authorities information such as your name and age to get you appropriate assistance quickly.
I'll make several extra long posts just for you. With many, short but sweet paragraphs.





. 
Reply With Quote