To see in London

While in London in March 2013, I visited mainly free museums (donations welcome), and one that stands out in my mind is The Wallace Collection (Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, England, W1U 3BN, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 207 563 9500). 

This fantastic small museum should be one of the top 10 sites to visit in London, but it appears to be a hidden gem. Looking through a guidebook, I noticed that it is filled with a private collection of art, in the same manner as Sir John Soane’s Museum (13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London; phone +44 [0] 20 7405 2107). 

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire Wallace Collection as well as eating brunch in the café. The gift shop yielded a few souvenirs. 

• During my stay in London, I also saw the longest-running play in the world, now in its 60th year: Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.” I attended the sold-out Saturday matinee at 4 p.m.

I purchased my ticket online at www.encoretickets.co.uk before arriving in London, which enabled me to choose my seat. It cost $84. I printed out my receipt, and when I arrived at St. Martin’s Theatre (Box Office phone 08444 99 1515), located on West Street in Greater London, my ticket was waiting at the “will call” window in the lobby. 

The theater has three tiers of seating, and it appeared that any seat in the theater would render a good view of the stage. I sat in the front row, a perfect location to see the subtle facial expressions of the actors and the vintage clothing and props used in the production. 

MARILYN MYERS

Lincoln, CA