London Life
London's attractions and points of interest are way too numerous to mention and the surface has barely been scratched here. But part of what makes London such a unique and vibrant city is its after-hours action. The live theatre tradition is alive and kicking in London's west end, a practice that has continued in this city since the days of the famous bard, William Shakespeare. The choice, quality and price of the shows are as varied as London’s inhabitants. The west end is also full of funky bars, traditional pubs and thumping nightclubs. For a more indie, grungy experience, then head east to the Old Street area. Or if you wish to hang out with the yuppie throngs, then you can’t go past the Chelsea/Fulham/Kensington area in West London.
And if none of that takes your fancy, then you could always drop in at one of the massive London parks and commons, take in a test match of cricket at Lord's, visit one of the ancient fortresses on the Thames, take a stroll through Kew gardens, check-out London’s historic churches, take a day trip to Hampton Court Palace etc. etc. etc. The point is there’s something for everyone.
Bars and pubs
Some bars and pubs that are well worth checking out include:
Churchill Arms in Notting Hill for a great pint of Guinness and a tasty Thai feed (119 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN );
Pubs on Shepherd’s Market in the heart Mayfair are great for a pint in the sun when the weather is smiling (16 Shepherd Market, Mayfair, W1J 7QG);The inviting and trendy Drayton Arms in South Kensington (153 Old Brompton Road, London, SW5 0LJ);Get down at the grungy, hip Big Chill bar just off Brick Lane in Shoreditch in London’s east (The Truman Brewery, Dray Walk, Shoreditch, E1 6QL).
Multicultural
Still in the east of town, about 2 kms north of the river, a gem of an example of Multicultural London can be found at Brick Lane. This area was populated by Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani immigrants post WWII who set up restaurants that faithfully recreate the smells, sounds and tastes of the Indian subcontinent. A stroll along this lane at dinner time will earn you many new “friends” who are only too happy to give you a free drink and half-priced starters if you will come inside and eat at their restaurant. Despite the hassle-factor, the standard experience down here is to get a great quality Asian meal at a reasonable price.
Icons
Heading back to the river from brick lane will bring you directly to one of London’s enduring icons, tower bridge. The striking silhouette of this bascule bridge is recognisable around the world as one of the symbols of the city. It was conceived and built in the great engineering age of the 1800’s when Queen Victoria reigned supreme from this city over her vast empire. This was a time when London was the booming centre-point of trade from all corners of the commonwealth. Traffic from the bustling wharfs near this area was choking the conduits in the east of the city and this bridge provided a relieving route from bank to bank, the most easterly crossing at the time.
Perhaps the most recognisable icon of London, however is the Houses of Parliament at Westminster. The lofty clock tower housing big Ben, one of the world’s most famous bells, soars above the Victorian Gothic Parliament building. This was another marvel constructed during the reign of Queen Victoria, designed by Charles Barry, one of the giants of British architecture and engineering at the time. The exquisite interior is credited to Augustus Pugin, who worked as a contractor to Barry.
There are many other icons to be seen on or close to the river’s verge in central London. Examples are the historic dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, the London eye – a giant Ferris wheel where one takes a flight rather than a ride, Nelson’s column at Trafalgar square, and the new Norman Foster skyscraper affectionately known as the “Gherkin”.
Market City
Sitting nearby the southern reach of the unremarkable London Bridge in central London is one of the most quietly kept gems of this town, in Borough market. Trading is known to have been ongoing at this site for more than 1000 years. This is principally a food market of the finest gourmet foods from across Europe. The colours, smells and hustle-bustle of this amazing market sets the space underneath the railway line alight. In such a small plot, you can literally take a tour of the culinary delights of all of Western Europe, stopping at stalls to shove something wonderful and exotic into your mouth.
This of course is not the only wonderful market in the city of London. North of the river, you can find the bizarre and irresistible Camden Markets. These mega markets contain an off the wall jibber-jabber of punks, clubbers, Goths, ghouls and crazy fools… oh, and the odd tourist too. The market itself sells an eclectic combination of clothes, furniture, souvenirs, arts and crafts, music and much more.
There are plenty of other great markets around town too, such as Portobello markets in Notting Hill and Spitalfield markets in east London. There is a London market to suit everybody’s cup of tea.
Architectural, Science and Engineering Marvels
Monuments to the great engineering heritage of this city are spread all along the Thames. Raw sewage used to be deposited directly into the river, which lead to the great stink of the summer of 1858. The fact that the Parliament building sits on its banks and copped the full brunt of the stench gave rise to a political will to fund an ambitious project lead by the brilliant civil engineer, Joseph Bazalgette. By the time he was done, he had radically transformed the geography of the river’s banks by constructing embankments which contained an extensive sewer system and part of one of the world’s earliest underground rail systems. This sewerage system, which was still in use until 1998, transformed the river from a stinking open sewer to a clean metropolitan waterway.
Then there is Marc Brunel’s tunnel under the Thames, a tunnel that was constructed beneath the sandy, unstable bed of this mighty river using a technique inspired by humble shipworms. There is the sweeping promenade of Regent’s street and constructed by the Regents architect, John Nash, whose other achievements include Trafalgar square, Regent’s Park and Buckingham Palace. There is the Greenwich observatory, including a museum that showcases the development of the spring-loaded clock – a device that allowed maritime explorers to accurately chart their longitudinal position on the globe and established London as the centre of the north-south world at 0o meridian.
Galleries and Museums
For those who are interested in galleries and museums, London boasts one of the finest and most varied selections of institutions that any city on the globe has to offer. Sitting beside the Thames, in the London Bridge area is the famed Tate modern, with its showpiece gallery, the cavernous Turbine Hall. This remarkable space exhibits impressive modern art projects year round. For more traditional exhibitions, the Tate Britain gallery lies further upriver at Pimlico. If European art is more your cup of tea, there is the National Gallery beside Trafalgar square in central London, which houses one of the greatest collections of Western European painting in the world.
Perhaps the single greatest treasure that London has to offer is manifest in the splendid British Museum. This building houses some of the greatest, most famous and significant treasures created by ancient civilizations. If you fancy seeing the stone that allowed archaeologists to unlock the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphics, the Rosetta stone is here. If you wish to see the amazing marble friezes that once adorned the Parthenon in Athens, the Elgin marbles are here. If your desire is to see the preserved body of a man who is believed to have been the victim of ritual sacrifice nearly 2000 years ago, the Lindow bog-man is also here. There are so many fascinating and priceless treasures in the British museum that the only way to do it justice is not to read about it, but to go and see it for yourself.
There are many other fine museum collections in London, the most significant are the Natural History Museum in its magnificent Victorian Gothic building, the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum which specialises in applied and decorative arts. The underrated Museum of London is also worth a mention, as is the Imperial War Museum at Lambeth North or its aviation section at Duxford.
Sporting Events
London puts on some awesome sporting events year round that are well worth paying a visit. Winter boasts the Premiership Football competition and the London clubs Chelsea and Arsenal are some of the biggest in Europe. Spring hosts one of the country’s best horse races, the flat track Epsom Derby is an easy day trip from London. Summer displays the world’s greatest tennis tournament, the Championships at Wimbledon. Soaking in the tradition and atmosphere is well worth the effort if even only with a grounds pass.
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