Exploring

It’s often said by the people who live here that London isn’t really representative of England – that it is an entity entirely unto and of itself. On the surface this comment seems fair enough. After all, on appearances alone, 21st century London is a vibrant, multicultural metropolis that has more in common with New York than the old city of York 200 miles up the road. But scratch below the surface and it quickly becomes apparent that this ‘new’ London is merely an extension that sits comfortably alongside the old. ‘Old’ London is, of course, the home of Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus, the royal family and those familiar red double-decker buses. But it’s also a heritage that stretches back over hundreds of years. Pre-Roman settlements have been discovered along the Thames, but London, as a united settlement in its own right, was established following the Roman invasion in AD43. The first coins found from Londinium, as it was known then, date the foundation of the capital back to AD50. The heart of Londinium was the area we now know as the City – the capital’s financial quarter – and traces of the Roman era can still be seen today amid the skyscrapers, glass and expensive suits. London is described as being made up of a series of villages and it’s true that many neighbourhoods within the capital’s 32 boroughs possess a character that is distinctly their own, be it the reggae-infused street culture of Brixton, the elegantly refined charms of leafy Hampstead or the gritty urbanity of central London itself. In broader terms, however, London is very clearly a city of two halves; a geographical definition that’s come about by the way the river Thames roughly splits the capital in two. It’s a standing joke among Londoners that those who live north of the river rarely travel south, but in truth the divisions between London’s two geographical characters are now largely anecdotal – urban regeneration crossed the river a long time ago, while the northern half of the city is home to its fair share of council estates and gritty neighbourhoods. It is most likely that anyone wanting to explore will begin in the centre, where the energy of Soho and Chinatown, the world-famous Theatreland and the almost tangible history of the newly regenerated East End evoke the rich vibrancy and variety of the capital’s ancient and modern history. London Pride What really captures visitors’ imaginations, however, is the powerful iconography of the city, from the pomp of Buckingham Palace to the ceremony of the Houses of Parliament. Mix in the sheer joyful playfulness of the architectural wonders of the new skyline, of which the giant observation wheel, the London Eye, is the unqualified winning example, and you have that heady mix of traditional and modern that ‘new’ London does so well. One reason the capital continues to entice and fascinate lies in its multifaceted appeal. Whatever you’re coming for, you’ll find it here. The City of London is the UK’s financial hub, attracting an endless stream of international business travellers. London’s heritage, history and reputation as both a top party destination and the gateway to the rest of the UK and western Europe continues to draw tourists and longer-term residents from every corner of the globe. And when they get here their preconceptions are confounded again by a city that isn’t just tall buildings and ancient monuments, but one filled with more beautiful and accessible green spaces than any other city of its size in the world. Londoners – whether born and bred or one of the many thousands who relocate to the capital each year – are justifiably proud of the city they live in. They may have a practical cynicism about aspects of the city’s infrastructure, especially its overworked transport system, but ask almost any one of its residents and they will say that London’s heritage, cosmopolitan cultural mix, world-class shopping, arts and entertainment and broadly egalitarian views make this a place that always fascinates and surprises.