Things to do in London, England

Apart from being England’s capital city and the Queen’s back garden, London is home to the world’s now favourite power couple, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Wills and Kate). Summer 2012 promises to delight royal fans as London leads UK celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and 60 years as ruling monarch from 2-5 June. Young Royal spotters may head to Boujis – a club in sloaney South Kensington for a chance to spot Harry enjoying a right royal knees up. The changing of the guards is another royal must-see but you’re unlikely to ever witness one of the Queen’s Grenadier Guards crack a smile.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot…  In 1605, a now infamous plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament was thwarted, resulting in a much celebrated UK tradition where bonfires are lit and fireworks blast into wintery skies all across the Capital. One conspirator in particular, Guy Fawkes (the original Fall Guy) took most of the rap. Despite Guy and his friend’s best efforts the Houses of Parliament still stand proud on Embankment as Britain’s steadfast political seat while Big Ben continues to chime on the...  

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Apart from being England’s capital city and the Queen’s back garden, London is home to the world’s now favourite power couple, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Wills and Kate). Summer 2012 promises to delight royal fans as London leads UK celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and 60 years as ruling monarch from 2-5 June. Young Royal spotters may head to Boujis – a club in sloaney South Kensington for a chance to spot Harry enjoying a right royal knees up. The changing of the guards is another royal must-see but you’re unlikely to ever witness one of the Queen’s Grenadier Guards crack a smile.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot…  In 1605, a now infamous plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament was thwarted, resulting in a much celebrated UK tradition where bonfires are lit and fireworks blast into wintery skies all across the Capital. One conspirator in particular, Guy Fawkes (the original Fall Guy) took most of the rap. Despite Guy and his friend’s best efforts the Houses of Parliament still stand proud on Embankment as Britain’s steadfast political seat while Big Ben continues to chime on the quarter hour.

All hail the London cabbie! Those who do won’t have to travel too far before they share a story or two. With only a ‘couple of quid’ on the meter you discover two things. Firstly they are not keen to drive ‘South of the river’ and secondly that unlike cabbies in most parts of the world, the iconic "black cab" driver knows the intricacies of the city’s A to Z of streets having studied the official ‘knowledge’ for four years.

Born under the sounds of the Bow bells, East Londoners may now live in one of the cooler parts of town for the chic Hackney bars and street market culture. Mile End, Stratford, Plaistow and Bethnal Green are the tube stops to find the real East end famous for gangsters, jellied eels and pearly kings and queens. Even more famous is the local dialect cockney rhyming slang: apples and pears (stairs), cup of rosy lee (tea) and whistle and flute (suit).

The capital’s all abuzz over London 2012. Backed by the likes of David Beckham, Prince William and London’s eccentric yet affable Mayor, Boris Johnson, the main focal point of the event is a new Olympic Park in the East End. The site spans 357 football pitches, has an 80,000 seat capacity and a Stadium standing 53m tall: three metres taller than Nelson’s Column. Soon, it will play host to athletes, media and spectators from around the world, all hoping their team brings home precious metal. British hopes rest with two-time Olympic Gold-winning swimmer, Rebecca Adlington and the blur that is the most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time, Sir Chris Hoy. www.london2012.com

So far-reaching is its influence that London seems almost eternal in Western memory. In fact, it was founded little more than two millennia ago as Londinium, an imperial Roman outpost. From that small settlement grew a cosmopolitan city that by the 19th century lorded over a realm on which the sun was said never to set. The capital of the island kingdom has witnessed a parade of kings and queens, wars and victories, saints and sinners. Its glories and trials have all colored London's past, stitching together a proverbial tapestry of events, landmarks, and personalities that draw folks irresistibly to England's southeastern corner.

Set along the banks of the Thames, London is Europe's largest city, boasting more than 7 million inhabitants. Its oldest section, where Romans first gathered, is now its business and financial center. Referred to as the City, or the Square Mile, it's also the location of St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. Even so, tourist matters fall largely to the West End (the city's social and cultural center), to Soho (rife with bars, clubs, and restaurants), and to South Kensington (which boasts museums and the latest trends).

Leading industries include banking, government, tourism,...  Read more »

So far-reaching is its influence that London seems almost eternal in Western memory. In fact, it was founded little more than two millennia ago as Londinium, an imperial Roman outpost. From that small settlement grew a cosmopolitan city that by the 19th century lorded over a realm on which the sun was said never to set. The capital of the island kingdom has witnessed a parade of kings and queens, wars and victories, saints and sinners. Its glories and trials have all colored London's past, stitching together a proverbial tapestry of events, landmarks, and personalities that draw folks irresistibly to England's southeastern corner.

Set along the banks of the Thames, London is Europe's largest city, boasting more than 7 million inhabitants. Its oldest section, where Romans first gathered, is now its business and financial center. Referred to as the City, or the Square Mile, it's also the location of St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. Even so, tourist matters fall largely to the West End (the city's social and cultural center), to Soho (rife with bars, clubs, and restaurants), and to South Kensington (which boasts museums and the latest trends).

Leading industries include banking, government, tourism, telecommunications, and publishing, many of which have been standards since London's early rise to prominence. Nowadays, fashion and music find their place as well, and of course, royal-watching has evolved into its own industry, fueled by the affections and voyeurism of the general populace.

Through the city's permutations, history has been almost palpable. In it have been swept up William Shakespeare, Margaret Thatcher, Charles Dickens, Jack the Ripper, Samuel Pepys, the Beatles, and Charles Darwin. History has also engulfed foreign invasions, city-crippling infernos, and Nazi bombings. Rising up against such adversity, the city distinguished itself by building Westminster Abbey, establishing the British Museum, creating Kew Gardens, hosting the Olympics, and other such triumphs.

As material evidence of its past, city architecture includes remnants of medieval walls, well-proportioned Georgian squares, and the streamlined silhouettes of the London Eye and the Millennium Dome. Many structures have been repurposed for the new century (power plants as museums, stables as homes, and theaters as dance clubs), highlighting London's eclectic character. In its latest incarnation, the city is a place where Harrods and Gap share the spotlight as meccas of the au courant and where images as drastically departing as Queen Elizabeth II and soccer star David Beckham find popular acclaim.

Even British cuisine has been rethought. Fish and chips and shepherd's pie keep a foot firmly planted in the past, but culinary innovation at restaurants like Chez Bruce, Clarke's, and Gordon Ramsay proves that mushy peas are not a foregone conclusion. And nightlife is just as vibrant. Folks only need stop in at one of the capital city's energetic clubs to view Britain's youth, who embrace pulsing lights and international music as easily as they quaff a proper pint.

Of course, London's allure lies in how it balances those two vying forces of past and present. To experience their tension, dunk yourself wholeheartedly in the city. Hop a double-decker bus and marvel at Big Ben and the Millennium Bridge. Catch an open-air cruise on the Thames, and journey past the Tate Modern to Greenwich, home of the prime meridian. "Mind the gap" on the Tube and immerse yourself in the city's buzz and routine. Leicester Square? Victoria Station? Portobello Road? They bring their own distinct pleasures. And so - eternally - does London: outpost of Romans, province of royals, fog-dusted city sublime.