London

By Steve Mouatt

Once the largest city in the world London offers something for visitors of all ages and interests. The capital of the United Kingdom and once the capital of the greatest empire ever seen, the streets of the city reflect its glorious past as well as its modern role.

First recorded in AD62 as a Roman market town the real history of London commences with the arrival of William the Conqueror who granted the town its charter and began the construction of the Tower of London. As the town became a city and also the capital of the land it expanded rapidly. Redevelopment, the ravages of plague, the great fire and not least the Second World War shaped the city we see today.

Despite its size getting around the various sights is fairly easy thanks to the underground system which is the largest, and oldest, in the world. Tourist tickets are available that allow unfettered travel on both the tube system and the extensive bus network.

For many a trip to London would not be complete without at least one ride in the famous black cabs which these days are actually often anything but black as they sport various advertising messages. Although black cabs are reasonably priced it is best to avoid rush hour trips as the traffic congestion reaches its peak and this can increase the cost significantly if you are unlucky. You may also come across mini-cabs. However in London many of these are unlicensed and pose a threat to the unwitting tourists as they can find themselves being overcharged as well as being conveyed in unroadworthy vehicles.

Another form of transport that is worth considering is one of the many ferries that ply their trade along the Thames. They are reasonably priced and include a running commentary as you leisurely cruise by a variety of historic sights. The main pick up points for these ferries are Westminster and Tower Piers.

If you really want to experience London then the most important form of transport to use is foot power or you plates of meat (feet) as a cockney might say. But as you walk the streets don't look just to your front but look up as well. Many apparently ordinary shop fronts at ground level yield to a magnificent facade above this level. You will also find that many buildings sport plaques detailing the history of the building or the site upon which the building sits. Also keep an eye out for the numerous round blue plaques situated on all sorts of buildings around the capital which commemorate the association of a famous person of the past with the building. In fact don't just look up but look to the sides as well many of London's hidden secrets peek out at you from narrow alley ways and arched covered walkways. A map is a useful aid when walking around the capital and these are available from numerous places around the city including most underground stations and street vendors. However the number of interesting places is so numerous that no map or guide book can list them all.

For the less energetic a number of open top tourist buses operate around the city which provide a commentary on all the sights that they pass and allow people to hop on and off should they wish to explorer a sight further.

For many the lure of London is its history and pageantry. There is so much of this around the city but within a relatively short walk a whole host of such sights is available to the tourist. Starting at Westminster Bridge, reached from Westminster tube station you are presented with the magnificent Houses of Parliament. Whilst parts of this gothic style building date from the 11th century the major part of it dates from the 19th century although the chamber of the House of Commons is much later as its predecessor was destroyed by German bombing in 1941. The 300 foot clock tower is often incorrectly referred to as Big Ben. This name actually refers to the hour bell contained within the tower whose chime is synonymous with London. On the opposite side of the river Thames is the London Eye, the worlds largest ferris wheel, which now dominates the London skyline, The Eye was constructed specifically for the new millennium and was designed to demonstrate the modern face of Britain juxtapose the buildings of a bygone age. A short walk across the bridge and along the South Bank leads to the ferris wheel. But a warning the queues for the wheel are very long and booking is advisable.

Walking away from the bridge and past the Houses of Parliament will bring you to Parliament Square. A small oasis within the hustle of Westminster you will often see lobby groups handing out leaflets and Politicians providing interviews to TV film crews. All this under the watchful gaze of the statues of various great statesmen including Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. On the far side of the square sits Westminster Abbey.

The Abbey was founded in 1050 by Edward the Confessor and is the resting place of many kings and queens of the past along with other note worthies. It is here that almost all the English monarchs have been crowned including the present Queen. But of all those entombed within the Abbey the most honoured is the tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

Walking with you back to the Abbey and preceding into Parliament Street, that later becomes Whitehall, leads you into the heart of the administration. Most of the buildings that you pass by contain ministries of the government. You may notice a sign for the War Cabinet Rooms. This was the underground chamber used by Churchill and the Cabinet during the war and is now open to the public.

A short walk further up Whitehall brings you first to the Cenotaph on your right, the site of national remembrance on the Sunday nearest the 11th of November. On your left sealed by ornate gates is Downing Street. Number 10 is the official residence of the Prime Minister whilst next door at number 11 is the Chancellor. Until the 1980s it was possible to walk down the street at wait opposite number 10 where you might see the Prime Minster of the day greeting a foreign official or head of state. These days you might get a site of such a VIP as they speed through the gates.

A short distance further on your left brings you to horseguards parade. Normally you will see two mounted troopers of the Household Cavalry on guard at the front with further cavalryman on foot positioned inside the archway. If you proceed through the archway you will enter a large gravelled parade ground (Horseguards Parade) upon which the Annual Trooping of the colour is performed during June. Tickets to this enclosure for this event are extremely difficult to obtain but other military musical events are held during June for which tickets are readily available. As you stand in the parade ground you will notice a wall with barbed wire on top of it. This is the back wall of no 10 Downing Street. The park that is visible on the other side of the road (Bird Cage Walk) is St James Park.

Proceeding further along Whitehall and past the other government buildings will eventually bring you to Trafalgar Square with Nelsons Column towering above you in the centre guided by four huge lions. A favourite place to rest the feet, perhaps feed the pigeons and take the obligatory pictures. Within the square you may notice a small turret like structure with a lamp on top and a door. This was once regarded as the smallest police station in the country with enough room for a single officer. These days its use is somewhat more mundane. At the rear of the square you will notice a large pillar in each corner. On the right hand one stands a statute whilst on the left-hand one some other structure will be present. At present this 'work of art' changes periodically it is said until they make up their mind what to put there.

To the left as you walked into the square is the Admiralty Arch that spans the roadway. Originally used by the Navy this arch now has the distinction of probably being the most unusual homeless hostel in the world when it is used on a temporary basis at Christmas. Walking through the archway brings you into the Mall which can be thought of as the driveway of Buckingham Palace. The wide avenue was specifically designed to facility processions and is the scene for many of the Royal Occasions that have occurred over the years including coronations and state funerals (the most recent being that of Princess Diana). It is also along this road that the household regiments march for the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. As you walk down this long road note the park that is on your left. This is St James' Park again which can probably claim to be the prettiest park, as well as one of the smallest, in London. You might wish to detour through this park as you proceed towards the palace. Despite being in the centre of London this park is an Oasis which frequently in the summer is host to band concerts.

As you reach the end of the Mall you will come across a large monument, officially called the Victoria Monument it is often called the Wedding Cake due to its tiered design. Beyond this is the imposing regency period Buckingham Palace. Built in 1705 by the Duke of Buckingham later sold to George III and remodelled for the then Prince Regent (later George IV). This is the official residence of the Queen when in London, it is now open to the public in the summer. Entrance is by ticket and booking is advisable. If as you look though the railings at the palace and you are wondering whether the queen is at home just look at the flag pole in the centre of the building. If the Royal Standard is flying then the Queen is in residence, if it is the Union Flag then she is not.

For the more energetic a walk from Trafalgar Square, down The Strand and Fleet Street towards Tower Hill is a rewarding experience. A myriad of interesting buildings and churches will be passed on the way.

As you walk along the Strand take note of some of the street names such as Bedford and Buckingham. Add a 'Lord' or a 'Duke of' to these names and it indicates the nobles houses that used to sit on this street who's 'back gardens' ended at the Thames.

Just before you come to the Savoy hotel and theatre (the site of the Savoy Palace) on your right you will see down a side street on your left the covered market of Covent Garden. Once the fruit market of London made famous by the musical My Fair Lady this market has now moved south of the river to Seven Sisters. These days the market contains art and craft shops and stalls along with numerous cafes. Add to this some of the best street entertainment you can find and the small cobbled area is a must for any tourist.

The Strand eventually becomes Fleet Street once the home of all the major newspapers. These days their offices have disappeared but many signs of the old trade still remain.

As Fleet Street ends so Ludgate hill starts topped by the magnificent St Paul's Cathedral. A word of warning St Paul's isn't a five minute stop for the history buff. Once inside the crypt alongside the monuments to the leading figures of the both the country and the empire such as Nelson, Wellington and the Cathedrals builder Sir Christopher Wren and the time quickly ebbs away as you discover one legendary figure after another.

If you proceed down Cannon Street to its end and you will find Monument Street. Here you will find a tall fluted tower known as The Monument. This was built by Sir Christopher Wren and marks the spot where the Fire of London commenced. Well actually its height marks the distance to where the fire started in Pudding lane. Given that we can safely assume that pudding lane was in ashes once the fires died down it is perhaps somewhat odd that it wasn't built on the actual site!

Following Eastcheap will eventually bring you to Tower Hill and the Tower of London. This was the first Royal residence in the city and was for a large part of its life a prison as well. Anne Bolyn, Catherine Howard and Thomas More are amongst its former inhabitants who ended their days there at the hands of the executioner. Its last prisoner was the German Vice Chancellor Rudolph Hess who was imprisoned there during the war. Today the major attraction at the castle is the Crown Jewels. Although there is often a queue to get into the Jewel House it is worth the wait as before you, you will see a collection of gems unparalleled anywhere else in the world. There are guided tours around the Tower conducted by the informative Yeoman Warders, as they are officially known, or the Beefeaters as they are more commonly known.

Near to the Tower is Tower Bridge. Probably the most famous symbol of London this Victorian Bridge rarely opens these days as few tall ships proceed this far up the Thames. However the bridge is open to the public with guided tours that lead up the northern tower across the high level walkways and down the southern tower. This bridge is often wrongly called London Bridge and has led to the tale that when the actual London Bridge, which lies further west, was going to be rebuilt an American Company offered to buy the old one believing it was actually buying Tower Bridge. Whether this is true we will never know but it seems as likely as the claims by that company that the marks on the side of this bridge, now situated at Lake Havasu in the USA, were caused by German fighter aircraft bullets during the war.

London contains sights other than historic ones. Probably the most impressive modern ones are the Thames Tidal Barrier (a moveable barrier designed to protect London from exceptional high tides) and the Dome built to mark the Millennium. Both situated at Greenwich the barrier can be reached by tour boat from Tower Pier and the Dome via the Tube. Other favourites include the famous Madam Taussauds Wax Works, The London Dungeon waxworks, Speakers Corner, Mable Arch, Leicester Square and London Zoo (Regents Park).

Of course shopping is an important pastime for many tourists. Oxford Street, Carnaby Street and Kings Road probably mark the major shopping areas for the regular shopper. But for those of a wealthier persuasion or those who adore window shopping then New Bond Street, Old Bond Street and Regent Street are places not to be missed. As you walk down New Bond Street (which leads off Oxford Street and eventually becomes Old Bond Street) you will see boutiques and salons of the famous designers. Those status brands that emblazoned their labels with New York, London, Paris and Rome are situated down these streets. Interestingly the one thing that is missing from most of these shops are price tags. The old adage 'if you need to know the price you can't afford it' is never truer than here. With prices of £20,000 or £30,000 for a watch these are streets that can break most credit card limits.

Shortly before New Bond Street becomes Old Bond Street stands a bench upon which two elderly gentleman relax, the gentlemen Harry Truman and Winston Churchill the latter being someone whom in his younger days was no stranger to these streets. In the nearby Burlington Arcade that runs between Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens a shirt maker still displays an account for the young Churchill's wardrobe in its window. This arcade is well worth a visit as it represents one of the few remaining 18th century covered shopping arcades in London. A further three similar arcades run off Piccadilly close to this one.

For those who's interests are more cultural then London has much to offer them as well. Numerous Galleries featuring major works of art by artists such as Gainsborough, Reynolds and Constable as well as modern art. Many Museums reside here including the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

For the theatre goers London offers shows equal to those on Broadway from the longest running show in the world (The Mousetrap) through to established blockbusters such as Les Miserables and onwards to avant guard theatre. Most of the theatres are clustered around the areas of Soho and China Town. This area is probably one of the liveliest areas of the city with clubs, pubs and restaurants nestling alongside the theatres. If you think this area is busy during the day just wait until the theatres spill their clientele onto the streets to merge with the other revellers.

Whatever you do whilst in London there are two essential things that you need. Somewhere to sleep and something to eat. The cultural diversity of London has meant that food from virtually every nation on the planet is available somewhere. Of course it has its fair selection of the various fast food and restaurant chains along with numerous small cafes that dot the streets. Exclusive restaurants with equally exclusive prices can also be found. If you want a treat then tea at one of the top hotels is worth considering. Costing around £18 per person may seem expensive but you are not paying just for a plate of sandwiches and a cup of tea. It is very much the experience that you are paying for.

With such a large number of tourists and businessmen coming to London there is equally large number of hotels available. These quality and cost of these hotels varies enormously, from youth hostels through to some of the most elite hotels in the world. The city has been described as the most expensive city in the world to stay in. Whilst this is probably not true it certainly is dearer to stay here than in the rest of the country.

One issue that many tourists consider when they arrive in a new city is personal security. Like any big city London suffers its share of crime. It's certainly worse than some but equally it is better than many. Street crime in central London is generally limited to pick pockets and bag snatchers so the normal precautions against these crimes should be followed. The use of guns is fortunately rare throughout the entire country and there are no no-go areas within central London. To put the crime level into context, more people are murdered each year in New York than are murdered in the entire United Kingdom.

The city has suffered terrorist outrages but these are rare, but this is in part through vigilance. Do not leave luggage or packages unattended or cars in the wrong place because the warnings that such items may be blown up are not idle threats and it can be rather embarrassing explaining to the hire company why their car was detonated!

London is a wonderful venue for a holiday. There are so many things to do and see that one could spend a lifetime there and still not see all of its secrets and gems.

For more information on London where else to go but Travellers-Friend.com.