CITY GUIDE

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BIRTHDAY - 

• 43 CE

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POPULATION - 

• 9,841,000

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AKA - 

•  Londinium - Londres - Loundres - Lunden - Trinovantum - the Square Mile - the Big Smoke -   the Old Smoke - the Swinging City - Lundenwic - the Smoke - the Capital - Kaerlud - the City -   Karelundein - Lownedonjon - Troia Nova - Llundain - the Metropolis - the City of Dreams - the   Global Village - the City of Villages - the Green City - the Foodie Capital - The Great Wen -   LDN - Londinio - Londiniensi - Londiniensium - Augusta - Lundenwic - Lundenburh - Lundin -   Londoun - Londen

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MEANING - 

• Lhwn Town, translating to "city in the grove"

• From the great river

• London comes from the Latin word Londinium, used during the era of the Roman Empire - most favoured theory

• London comes from the name of King Lud, who founded and ruled the city before Roman times

• Likely from Proto-Celtic *Londinjon - “place that floods”

• The name came from Welsh, with 'Lynn din', supposedly meaning 'lake fort

• King Lud, who seized the city Trinovantum and ordered it to be renamed in his honour as Kaerlud. This eventually developed into Karelundein and then London.

• Take your pick

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RIVER - 

• The Thames - the longest river in England and provides 2/3 of London's drinking water. It has 200 bridges crossing it.

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HISTORY - 

• Originally settled around 6,000 BC

• Ancient Romans founded a port here in 43AD

• In 60 AD London was burnt to the ground. The first of what would become a recurring event

• After the fall of the Roman Empire the city was attacked by Vikings and largely left abandoned after having a population around 40,000

• 1065 Westminster Abbey was built

• 1066 William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings and became the King of England

• During his reign the Tower of London was built and the wooden London Bridge was replaced by a stone one

• By the time Henry VIII became king the population was 100,000 people or more

• In 1605 Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the House of Parliament

• In 1665 the Great Plague killed 100,000 people

• In 1666 the Great Fire of London burnt the place to the ground. Buckingham Palace was one of the new buildings to be built after the fire.

• The Bank of England was founded in 1694 and helped turn London into an international powerhouse

• By 1840 the population was 2,000,000

• During Queen Victoria's reign Big Ben and the London Underground were built. Aksu during this time Jack the Ripper stalked the streets.

• World Wars I and II bought death from the skies. The Battle of Britain against the German Luftwaffe resulted in 30,000 deaths

• Thousands died in the Great Smog of 1952

• It has hosted the Olympic Games in 1908, 1948 and 2012

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BEST TIME TO GO - 

• Summer - June, July and August is peak tourist time.

• Shoulder season sees lesser crowds and cooler weather. March to May is Spring and is a good time to visit. September to November is Autumn and school holidays. It is still a good time to visit.

• Mid November through February is Winter and the low season. That doesn't mean you shouldn't come. You will just need to rug up and you will see a different side to London. Enjoy Christmas, some cheaper prices and few tourists.

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TOP 10 - IN NO ORDER

1. Tower of London

2. The London Eye

3. Westminster Abbey

4. Buckingham Palace

5. St Paul's Cathedral

6. ​Trafalgar Square

7. The Houses of Parliament

8. Big Ben

9. Kew Gardens

10. The Tower Bridge

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FUN FACTS - 

• London had the world's first traffic light

• 300 languages are spoken in London

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AIRPORT TRANSFER - London has more airports than any other city in the world

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       If you want information on travelling between the airports click on the London Gatwick link

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• London Heathrow - has 4 terminals and 3 tube stations. You also have train, bus and taxi options.

• London Gatwick - the Gatwick Express links to London Victoria Train station and the Tube. It takes ½ an hour and you also have train and taxi options.

• London Luton - is 55 km from Central London. Take the Luton Dart from the airport to Luton Parkway Station which is 1 mile away from the airport and takes you to St Pancras Station. There is also bus and taxi options.

• London City - the Capital's most central airport is well connected - especially by the Docklands Light Railway or DLR.

• London Stansted - get to London by bus, train or taxi. Prebook online to save money.

• London Southend - walk the 100 steps to Southend Airport Station and have access to the Tube and numerous train stations.

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SAFETY & SCAMS - 

• Same as most European cities. Quite safe but a problem with pick pockets and bag snatchers especially around tourist attractions and the tube. The worst stations are King’s Cross, St Pancras, Oxford Circus, Victoria, Liverpool Street, Stratford. Avoid congested places.

• The Moped Mugger - rides past and snatches your bag, wallet or your phone

• Distraction is a technique as old as time. 

• Click the link and read thoroughly. Forewarned is forearmed. Don't let these jackals ruin your holiday

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FOOD - 

• Chicken Tikka Masala - the National dish enjoyed after a night of drinking and one of the positive results of the British Raj.

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• Fish & Chips - the fish came from Jewish exiles and the chips came from the Belgians

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• Bangers & Mash - sausages, mashed potato and onion gravy. Apparently in WWI sausages were made with cheap fillers and a lot of water. When cooked they would explode, or bang.

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• Spotted Dick - a pudding full of currants or raisins. The pudding is the dick and the fruit is the spots

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• Toad in the Hole - sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter often with onion gravy and veg. Another dish you might find down the pub

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• English Breakfast - big fry up hangover cure (or enhancer) with eggs, bacon, toast, baked beans, sausages, black pudding and grilled tomatoes

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• Bubble & Squeak - my favourite with bacon and fried eggs. Usually refried leftovers from the Sunday roast. Originally it was beef and cabbage fried but rationing in WWII turned it into more of a vegetarian dish. The name coming from the noise the ingredients make frying in the pan

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• Sunday Roast - beef, pork or chicken with roast potatoes, veg, Yorkshire Pudding and gravy

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• Ploughman's Lunch - common pub lunch, the name was probably crated as a cheese promotion in the 1950's and 60's. It consists of crusty bread and butter, a selection of English cheeses, pickled onions, chutney and pickles

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• Eton Mess - from the famous school has been around since 1893. It consists of meringue, strawberries and whipped cream

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• Pie & Mash - staple of the working class, minced meat pie, mashed potato and parsley sauce.

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• Beef Wellington - named after the first Duke of Wellington after his success against Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815

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• Victoria Sponge Cake - the Queen was a big fan and used to enjoy eating at afternoon tea

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• Afternoon Tea - was invented by the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell in 1840. Queen Victoria was a big fan and helped to make it famous.

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LONDON PUBS -

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• English pubs are famous throughout the world and London has some great examples. They have been around since the ancient Roman days when they were known as Tabernae.

• With the industrial age came pollution and water was no longer safe to drink. So they had to drink beer! And many pubs sprang up.

• The term Pub was coined in the Victorian era after the name Public House. They still remain the place to relax with friends, have a meal and some also provide accommodation. They are places where all walks of life come together.

• London pubs are full of history and many are named after historic events and people. Some are even said to be haunted.

• Here's a few worth checking out - 

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• The Churchill Arms 1750, Kensington - 

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• The Spaniards Inn 1585, Hampstead Heath - 

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• The French House 1891, Soho - 

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• Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese rebuilt 1667, Fleet Street - 

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• Prospect of Whitby 1520, Wapping - 

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• The George 1676, Borough High St - located near London Bridge and the Borough Market it is managed by the National Trust and is the last galleried inn in London. Back in the day people would park their coaches up and spend the night here. There is outdoor seating in the large courtyard. Famous visitors include William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Princess Margaret, Beyoncé and Madonna.

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• The Star Tavern circa post WWII, Belgravia - originally built to house the servants of nobility. The Great Train Robbery was planned here, make sure to have a look at the upstairs bar where it happened. Run by a character in the 50's and 60's named Paddy Kennedy who enjoyed verbally abusing his customers. Sometimes he would single one out for the special treatment. Constant abuse all night. Regular clientele like Bing Crosby, Princess Margaret, Peter O'Toole, Diana Dors and other famous people at the time loved it. It was a prime rendezvous point for John Profumo and Christine Keeler.

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• The Hawley Arms 1851, Camden - is known as a live music pub. It was Amy Winehouse's local and she used to jump behind the bar and pull a few pints. Located next to the Camden Market it became the British music industry's favourite pub. Recently it has starred in a Netflix series Baby Reindeer posing as the "The Heart".

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• The Grapes 1720, Limehouse Reach - originally "The Bunch of Grapes", there has been a pub on this spot since 1583. Presently owned by actor Sir Ian McKellen who sometimes reads out the quiz questions. It has been mentioned in books by Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle and in Samuel Pepy's Diary. It claims to have served Sir Walter Raleigh and Dickens is said to have danced on the tables.

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• The Mayflower Pub circa 1550, Rotherhithe - the oldest pub on the River Thames has stunning river views from the outdoor decked area. You can still see the 1620 mooring spot where the ship called the Mayflower waited to take the pilgrims over to the New World. It's a great place to watch the sunset too.

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