A Londoner Observes

A few photos from my neighbourhood in North London.

2011-09-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal Football Club.

Cannons outside Arsenal's Stadium

A cat outside Whittington Park

Former Public Baths, now the site of luxury flats for the rich.

London Riots: The Aftermath of the Killing of A Black Gunman

2011-08-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

The French have a saying: "Gouverner c'est prévoir" (To govern is to foresee).
I was reminded of this early last week, long after London and its suburbs had descended into an orgy of burning and looting.
This spontaneous outburst of anti-social behaviour had been triggered by the extra-judicial execution of a Black gunman,Mark Duggan.He was in a cab when he had been followed by armed members of Operation Trident, an armed branch of the Police whose job is to combat the recent spate of Black-on-Black shootings.The details are not clear, but it seems as if they shot him on the floor of the cab without him firing at them.One officer received a bullet in his radio....According to a report in the "Guardian" newspaper, the bullet was a police-issue one.A loaded gun was found in the dead man's sock.
Two nights later--Saturday---after the news spread, the family and friends of the dead man held a vigil outside the local Police Station, Tottenham.After four hours, no senior officer had agreed to meet them to discuss the state of investigations, no attempt was made to mollify or assuage.
Pain turned to anger, and a 16- year -old girl in the group is alleged to have thrown a brick at one of the policemen.She was then said to have been rewarded by a baton strike across the face.All hell broke loose.
The news spread like wildfire.Buses, police cars, were overturned, burnt to a cinder.Residents had a feeling of deja-vu.A couple of decades previously, rioting had occured in the area as a result of another extra-judicial killing of a Black person---a Black mother of a suspect.The community began to fear a repetition of the dark nights which then ensued.Then, a policeman had been murdered by a large crowd....
The rioting soon spread, riots were sprouting up everywhere.Brixton, in the South, Enfield, a few miles up the road, Haringey, Stoke Newington, Walthamstow, all nearby, were now up in smoke.Croydon, 15 miles away, had staged its own copycat riot.It later emerged that youths had been using Blackberry's Messenger Service to inform each other of the next venue for mayhem.
The rioters/looters were by no means all Black---what is noticeable was the variety of people involved---White, Black, and all shades in-between.Most of the areas put to the torch were disadvantaged suburbs, blighted by unemployment, devoid of hope.
With each hourly news broadcast, the list grew----Islington,Haringey, Woolwich, Lewisham, in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Gloucester, Bristol outside, miles away.
The Tory hierarchy had (almost) all gone away--at the same time!The Prime Minister, David Cameron, the Liberal-Democrat, Nick Clegg(his deputy), Home Secretary, Theresa May, as well as the Billy Bunteresque Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, were all on holiday.None signalled any intention of cutting short their holiday....until it became impossible to resist the clamour for firm leadership.
The mob had got the upper hand, their use of Blackberries had outfoxed the overstretched Police.It was common to see them standing by----spectators to mayhem.All this happened against a background of doctrine-inspired public-spending cuts---including in the size of the police force!
Those on the political Right would not countenance any linking of deprivation with the destruction which took place.Indeed, for some on the Far-Right, it was a great time for Black-bashing.Black people were responsible for all the ills of society.It takes an effort of wilful stupidity to watch young people of all races---in some areas outside London, the gangs were majority White---and conclude that we were seeing a Race War.
Anomie, breakdown of norms, yes.These were certainly not Race riots.It emerged that the gunman, infamously pictured with his fingers shaped into a pistol in that dreadful hip-hop way, was of mixed-race.His White uncle, or so it has been claimed, is a big-time gang boss in Manchester.This, even if true, is no excuse for what seems like an extra-judicial killing.An enquiry is taking place, but I don't think anyone is holding his breath for justice.Policemen who kill Blacks are never punished.History tells us that a whitewash is not far away.
Fresh off the plane from sunnier climes, the Prime Minister and his colleagues began to talk tough.Thousands more police would be drafted into London.Water, cannon, tear gas, the whole of the police's box of tricks was to be made available.Overwhelming force was deployed, the looters went home to try on their newly-acquired trainers, and to watch their new flat-screen plasma TVs.
Courts, meanwhile, have had to sit twenty-four hours a day in some parts.Those looters who were too fat to run, or too stupid in thinking they were invincible, are being serviced by overworked magistrates.Stiff sentences await.
Politicians have begun to bicker publicly with senior Police.The Tory hierarchy---those who couldn't be bothered to leave their sunloungers in Tuscany until the clamour for their return became overwhelming---are now tripping over themselves to portray the Police as weak, vacillating.No discussion of the effects of their policies is allowed.Anyone who wants to ask "why" is deemed to be on the side of Anarchy.Plans are being drawn up to curtail similar future events by closing down Facebook, twitter, etc.Meanwhile, the Police have been informed that the proposed cuts to their budget will go ahead anyway.
Whisper it, but there were times when I actually felt sorry for the Police last week.

No anonymous comments will be published.

Amy Winehouse,the "Queen of Camden", and other untimely deaths.

2011-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

The news, when it came, was a shock---but it was not a surprise.Like the death of Michael Jackson, news of Amy Winehouse's untimely demise was something I had been expecting to hear for quite a long time.The mad pace of her rock - star lifestyle had long made it obvious that this person was not meant to last long on this earth.

I arrived home late from an afternoon and evening spent in Brighton, Londoners' main coastal hangout.After dinner in a fish restaurant, followed by a few drinks in a bar, my old school friends and I went our separate ways.

Earlier in the day, on my way to the coast, I had heard snippets of a news item from Norway involving an explosion in the capital.I had been in too much of a rush to pay much attention, excited as I was to meet up with old friends.

As usual, I only heard the full details once I got in bed, and switched on Dotun Adebayo's show on Radio5.

So, that was it.The hard-drinking female Keith Richard figure was gone.The details did not really matter.We all knew that in the end, whatever the post-mortem was to say, it was her lifestyle which did for her.We had been reading about her in the tabloids on a weekly basis---Amy coming out of the" Hawley Arms" and punching a young man, Amy photographed with blood over her shoes after injecting heroin in her toes, Amy this, Amy that.....the stories became more sordid, more outrageous.

A talented girl from a working-class Jewish family, she had achieved world-wide fame in a very short time.Her White-Soul voice had brought her much acclaim----there was enough money to buy a multimillion -pound house in Camden Square----only five minutes' walk from our office.

By the following day her beatification had begun.Police had to be drafted in to Camden Square as hundreds of fans descended on her house.They set up a shrine in front of her house with offerings of vodka, poems, paintings. I walked past the house on Wednesday morning----it is a route which I take home a lot of the time.The house, as well as a couple of adjoining houses, had been cordoned off.A security guard stood at the gate.

Tragic though her passing was, at least there was a kind of logic to it---we could, if we wanted to, pin the blame somewhere. We knew the angst-laden lyrics of failed love affairs, we knew the self-loathing , the striving for an impossible idea of perfection, we knew how headstrong she was.After all, was she not the one who boasted about saying :"No, No, No" when advised to seek help for her drink and drug habits?Death was a logical step in her career, as it had been for Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and so many other fallen heroes.

What logic though, can explain the slaughter by the vainglorious headcase of an inadequate man , a false prophet who had sworn jihad against the whole of Mankind....? After years of meticulous planning, the self-styled "Christian", Anders Breivik set off a bomb in the centre of the capital, and then went to an island where young members of the ruling Centre-Left Labour Party were meeting.This White-Supremacist, ostensibly angered by the "Islamisation " of Europe, set out to put the world to rights-----by killing as many of those young people as police tardiness in apprehending him would allow.His way of showing his hatred of all non-Whites(even though his only school friend was a Pakistani boy) was to massacre as many of the Labour Party's youth as he possibly could.

Like the Holy Warriors of Beslan who lay waste to those Russian schoolkids who were cowering in their gym several Septembers ago, he was too cowardly to carry out his deeds sober.He has confessed to having taken some sort of drug before starting his killing spree.

The two stories shared the front pages of all the newspapers for many days, but, I suspect most people had mixed feelings about one of them.

At least, with Amy Winehouse, the "Queen of Camden Town", as one mourner described her, one could find excuses for her behaviour. She, for all her bad-girl rock 'n roll lifestyle, had not set out to hurt anyone but herself. That dreadful Fascist, that puny excuse for a man, had the audacity to claim to be a Christian---a person who lives by the teachings of Christ. He was, in fact, a follower of Satan.Having cut short 78 or so innocent lives, he will have many years behind bars to ponder.God may forgive him, but I guess that the majority of us are not Christian enough to let bygones be bygones.

We may well forgive the brilliant songbird, Amy Winehouse, her shortcomings.Her songs may well live forever.

Death, in the end, cuts short all our vanity, whatever path we adopt in this life.

Student Resistance: The Re-Awakening of British Youth.

2010-12-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

The events of the past few days have shown how politically-aware sections of British youth have become.Seven months of Tory austerity measures, culminating in last Thursday's vote in Parliament to triple the cost of university tuition, have managed to galvanize thousands of youths into mass protest action.
It has been a long time since the centre of London has borne witness to such frenzied anti-government protest.
Last Thursday's demonstration, the latest in a series which is bound to continue well into the New Year, was attended by students from all over the country.Young people as young as 14 (some skiving - off school) turned out to lobby Members of Parliament belonging to the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition which has been governing the country since the May Elections.
It comes as no surprise to me that much of the students' ire ( as well as that of their their teachers and lecturers) has been aimed at the treacherous Lib-Dems.
Prior to the Elections,they made a great show of their opposition to the raising of tuition fees. Their MPs were falling over themselves to portray the Tories as evil tax-hikers who were hell-bent on raising VAT, cutting social programmes--and raising tuition fees.
They signed, publicly and ostentatiously--in front of cheering students --a pledge not to raise tuition fees. This made for good TV, and helped to garner votes, as well as Ministerial seats, after the Tories failed to get them vertiginous majority for which they had been yearning.
Labour lost their majority---but the Tories did not win.They became the largest party, without the ability to rule, as they were short of a majority.Consequently, they had to compromise with their erstwhile leftist foes.
As predicted, this cobbled-together marriage -of-convenience is now showing signs of strain.LibDem Members of Parliament are finding it hard to back Tory policies which go against their political grain.Some senior members even went as far as to abstain in Thursday's vote on tuition fees!
Students have formed the vanguard of popular resistance to the enforced budget cuts which the Coalition has imposed on all areas of Government spending.
An astonishing 80% cut in Government's support for university teaching has been put in place, the deficit being imposed on individual students---after they graduate.In addition, the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance), the subsidy to poorer students before they enter university, is to be cut.Hence the anger.
The privileged cabal of Old-Etonian-Oxbridge aristocrats who are disproportionally- represented in the present Cabinet, will not be personally affected . Their children will never have to worry about how to pay for college fees!
The overwhelmingly-Right-wing Press here have chosen to focus on the fighting and crowd trouble which took place during the demonstration.In doing so, they aimed to delegitimize the real grievances of the youths.Public opinion, it hopes, will thus turn against the students.It now becomes easier for the brightest and the best of the young generation to be labelled as "yobs" and "mindless hooligans". The ill-discipline of the few is thereby used to portray the majority.Little mention is made of the police-state tactics now being employed in quelling dissent.
In a week in which the whole of the Press and mass-media celegrated the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to an imprisoned Chinese citizen who wants to overthrow his government, the Metropolitan Police are allowed to impose imprisonment without trial of up to 10 hours on ordinary citizens who choose to avail themselves of their constitutional right to protest.
The majority of our Conservative-supporting Press have chosen to overlook the use of "kettling" as a means of dissuading people from coming out to protest.
This tactic involves cordoning off a small area of the demonstration, forcing everyone to stay in that area---( for up to 10 hours!). Any attempt to escape from the "kettled" area is met with beatings and charges by mounted police.There are no provisions for food or toilets.FOR TEN HOURS!
The Right-Wing then wonder why the thus-imprisoned demonstrators choose to resist! While they wag their finger at the Chinese authorities, they condone such tactics in the centre of London! Sadly, such commentators always lack a sense of history.
Not so long ago, groups of women engaged the authorities in similar clashes. Some chained themselves to the railings outside Parliament, they went on demonstrations, rallies, protests. Some succumbed to brutal beatings, some, indeed, died for their cause.
What were these terrible women so fired up about? Why were they disturbing the peace, rattling the status quo? What great cause mede them risk their freedom, their very lives?
They were the pioneers who were campaigning for votes for women.
The whole population now views this as an unalloyed good. Indeed , most modern people in Britain think this right is "natural", and very few people can imagine a Britain in which women do not have this right.
The lesson for today's students? Every "right" has to be fought for.

The Mayor's bikes,the Maze, George Bush and WMDs.

2010-08-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

It is early in August, so the usual signs of summer are in evidence all over the centre of town. Large groups of foreign students laden down with large rucksacks take up the whole of the pavement without paying any heed to the needs of others.Some behave as if the pavement belongs to them---ill-mannered youths exporting their uncouth ways.Bad tourists who, one hopes, will mature into good, well-mannered guests with the passage of time.

On every corner there is a pretty tourista grappling with a map, looking helpless. I am constantly amazed at the number of single young women who travel to London.White, Black, Yellow, Brown , and all shades in-between!

One novelty which caught my eye in the centre of town is the recently-introduced bicycle-for-hire scheme.

The Mayor, Tory Boris Johnson, has decided that what London needs is a bike-hire scheme----just like the one in Paris, and, long before it, Amsterdam.As a result, London has teamed up with one of the big banks, and installed a few thousand sturdy unisex bicycles which are on loan for a few hours, or a few days at a time.

On the face of it, the scheme seems to be an excellent idea, but I have one major reservation----there is no supply of helmets to accompany the shiny new bikes!

These are essential in a bicycle-unfriendly city like London. More thought should have gone into safety considerations before the scheme was rolled out.

cycles-for-hire
There was a similar scheme in Amsterdam years ago.As I recall, it was instigated by the Provos, a sort of idealistic anarchist group of the late 60's-early 70's.A whole load of white-painted bicycles were made available---only to be stolen!
I hope, for London's sake, that the same fate does not befall Mayor Boris' scheme.Furthermore, I do hope that he will provide helmets to accompany the bicycles. After all, a tourist who may not have ridden a bike for a long time, on a short vacation to London, can not be expected to spend a large amount of money on a bicycle helmet which he/ she will only use for a few hours or days...
Down in Trafalgar Square, I came across this artificial maze which was erected for a few days. It seems to have been a crowd-pleaser, but, by the time you read this, it would have been removed.Shame.
Further up the road (well, about 2 miles away, actually), I visited an exhibition called "After the Bombs Dropped".
This is an exhibition about the massive destruction and devastation caused by the atom bombs which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans at the end of WW2.
Everyone should see this. Once you do, I am sure you will not be able to think of weapons of mass-destruction in the same way.Ever.
George Bush & co. knew this, that is why they did not allow the American public---and the rest of the gullible world to see pictures of the dead and wounded in the ill-fated adventure in Iraq.Once you see the gruesome after-effects of war, it becomes so much harder to wish such suffering on your fellow human.
The exhibition is on at :Friends House,173,Euston Rd.,London,NW1 2BJ., until 12th August 2010.
www.quaker.org.uk/hiroshima

2009-10-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Notes On A Man About To Die

Once in a while, an event occurs which makes everyone sit up and take notice, question the very basis on which reality is built. Some events are so momentous that, upon hearing of them we wonder if the person informing us is, in fact, recounting a scene from some outlandish film.
This is how I felt a few weeks ago when one of my colleagues asked me, a propos of nothing much, if I'd heard the news about Akmal.
“No, what news?”, I queried.
He told me that Akmal had been sentenced to be shot by firing squad for drug trafficking in China. The execution was imminent, barring a last-minute reprieve being granted by The Court of Appeal.
   I bent over the office computer, and typed the name Akmal Shaikh into the search engine. Straight away, Google poured out a list of pages and articles about the death sentence. I was shocked, but not entirely surprised. I had been well aware that this man was a massive risk-taker, a person who would leap without a second glance either to his left or to his right. How could he have come to this?..
   I had been a self-employed leaflet deliverer--- a sort of private postman who went from door to door shoving cards, menus, and leaflets through people's letterboxes. Because of the low fees which I charged all my clients, I was seldom without work, and I enjoyed the freedom which it gave me. The solitary nature of the job gave me a lot of time in which to think, and to organise my creative ideas. In good times, I would combine two types of leaflet from different firms, thereby doubling my wages for the same distance walked.
It was through this line of work that I came into contact with Teksi, a fairly-successful cab firm in Kentish Town, North-West London. The owner of the firm was a short, squeaky- voiced chap called Akmal Shaikh, a Pakistan-born Briton.
   He had a kind of wariness about him whenever I went into his office. Was it unfriendliness, disdain? I didn't care, since I was my own boss, a freelance who chose his own working hours. I would be in there for, at most, twenty or thirty minutes at a time. He was at his most cagey whenever his female employee was in the office.
   She was a homely young Polish woman, wholly devoted and protective of her boss. It soon became plain to me that, although he was married, he and the Polish secretary/ telephonist were more than colleagues. There were times when I would see her sitting on his lap as I entered the office. One day, right out of the blue, he announced that they were now married! Several months previously, he had begun to call her by a Muslim name which he had given her. She soon left the firm, went back to Poland after the birth of their first child---his fifth.
   She was now living full-time in Poland, while he ran his business from London. He would go over for weeks at a time to be with his now-Muslim new wife. Since she left there was a vacancy for a telephonist. He employed a succession of pretty young ladies, mostly Poles, who were glad of the chance to work here. Their country had only recently emerged from Communist rule, and membership of the-then European Economic Community (now The European Union) was several years away.
During his return trips to London, it is rumoured that he had affairs with a succession of the young girls in his employ. Some claim that he set up home with one of them. When she left to continue travelling , he sought a replacement.
   By this time, I had long since stopped working for him, having taken up a sedentary job as a controller with a rival firm. After a year or so, my new employer closed his doors, apparently because Akmal did not want a rival to be based only a hundred yards away from him; he claimed that Akmal had made numerous complaints about our drivers' noise-making to the local council, in which he had some influential friends.
I moved on, having secured a controller's post with yet another firm, this time about a mile away. I kept bumping into old colleagues from Akmal's office. None of them had a good word to say about him. There were constant rumours of unpaid wages, monies being unfairly held on to...One night he made a phone call to my employer ( a former employee of his with whom he had had a falling- out). He wanted him to know that he was selling up, quoted him a price, and demanded an answer there and then. Upon hearing this, I advised my employer not to have anything to do with it---I could smell a rat.
   A few months later, we realised what had caused his hasty departure....The local newspaper had a shocking report of a mini-cab boss who had been charged with sexual harassment of a female employee. On the third page, there was Akmal's photo for all to see. He was fined a large sum of money by an Industrial Tribunal, after he lost the case which had been brought by the young woman. His loss of face was complete. He fled to Poland.
   The next time I heard about him, it was claimed that he had split up with his wife ( the devoted Catholic who loved him so much that she had changed her religion for him), other rumours had him being arrested for I don't know what...Out of the blue, one ex-colleague had me in stitches by saying that Akmal had been sending him emails inviting him to “ do jihad “ with him! I almost fell off my chair laughing...
   The newspaper articles all talk of a trip from Warsaw to a remote part of China. Upon searching his luggage, Customs found a quantity of heroin. Some say it was four kilos, others, seven. He claimed no knowledge of the drug's existence, claiming that he went to make a pop record about world peace. It is also claimed that he was homeless at the time, and had befriended a shadowy figure who claimed to have contacts in the music industry.
   Newspaper reports say that the judges at his trial laughed openly at some of his claims, his testimony is said to have been rambling and incoherent. He bombarded the British Embassy with long letters. The rights group, Reprieve, claim that he suffers from bi-polar disease and is delusional. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has been persuaded to make representations, all to no avail, it would seem.
   He may already have been shot. China, after all, is one of the governments which is most ready to execute prisoners. Even if he were to be released tomorrow, his life is in tatters. I pity his children. They were polite and pleasant young people whose lives are forever tarnished. Their ambitious father---he once visited the Dassault factory in Toulouse saying he wanted to buy an aeroplane with which to start an airline ---he is gone from them, even if he were to be released and pardoned.
   I am not in favour of the death penalty, not even for mass – murderers. After all, did Jesus of Nazareth not tell us to spare the sinner, or cast the first stone if we have never sinned? The Chinese authorities take a different view; after all, did the British and French imperialists not seek to weaken their society by selling them hard drugs not so long ago? The memory of the opium trade may still be fresh in the minds of their officials.
I find it a pity that a man who may have been mentally-imbalanced is being made to pay the price of those past wrongs.

On the South Bank of the Thames

2009-10-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

The South Bank of the River Thames houses one of the great collections of cultural and artistic meeting- places in London. The complex consists of The National Theatre, The Royal Festival Hall, The Hayward Gallery, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Purcell Room.

A trip to the South Bank Centre is best approached on foot across the Waterloo Bridge.The view from the bridge is absolutely spectacular; on one side, there is the Palace of Westminster, wherein are The Houses of Parliament, as well as the world-famous London Wheel.

The Royal Festival Hall , one of London's premier concert venues, has been in existence since 1951.Like the rest of the South Bank complex, the building is in the style of the-then-fashionable "brutalist architecture" of the post-war period.Opinions are divided as to its aesthetic worth, but I believe it is now a listed building.

During the day, it is common to see buskers and other street musicians around the concourse .Around the side of the building, there is a large bronze bust of Nelson Mandela, as well as various cafes and eating places.There are plenty of seats and benches on which to sit , and drink, and to watch people go by...In fact, it would be possible to spend an entire day in the Complex--starting at a contemporary art exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, the visitor could then go to sit and eat at one of the cafes or restaurants. Those who enjoy a spot of reading can pop into a bookshop or the Poetry Library( Level Five of the Festival Hall)...

There are often free recitals of classical music , as well as photographic exhibitions in the foyer of the Festival Hall. During the summer, there is a great book market along the river bank, with a large number of vendors with their stalls in front of them.

After visting the art gallery, the free concerts , and other attractions, the visitor might like to end their visit by attending the National Theatre to take in one of their productions.This is the home of some of the most-acclaimed heavyweights of British theatre.

A visit to the South Bank is a" must-do" for the visitor to London.It is a family-friendly and relaxed day out, especially in view of the pedestrianised nature of the complex, and the picturesque backdrop of the River Thames.There is bound to be something there for everyone.

A Visit to Portobello Road Market.

2009-08-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Scenes from Portobello Road& Pembridge Road(bottom picture).

The visitor to London should pay a visit to Portobello Road Market. This is one of the capital's landmark tourist attractions.

The best way to approach it is by turning right into Pembridge Road from Notting Hill Station, and following the crowds! A few yards down the Pembridge Road, you will notice that the majority of the pedestrians turn left at the "World in Splendour" pub.

This is the beginning of the Portobello Road.

Before proceeding down the road, and rummaging through the myriad of antique and other shops, it may be worth your while to pop into the pub. It is just as pleasant to buy a drink, lounge around on one of the benches outside, as it is to sit inside this bustling meeting place.

Down the road there are stalls in front of almost all the buildings, many of them sell antiques of one kind or another, while others sell such touristy articles as t-shirts and badges.Antiqe sterling silverware jostles for space and attention with crockery, glass, and other expensive items.Prices here can not be described as cheap--after all, this area, Notting Hill, is one of the most affluent in the whole of the country.Residents here include well-heeled American bankers who feel hard-done-by if they don't receive their £200,000 -per-year bonuses on top of their salaries!

If you become hungry after shopping or browsing, go to the junction of Westbourne Grove, turn right, and you'll find an embarrassment of culinary riches.Here you will find a restaurant to suit every taste.

It is worth pointing out that at the end of every August, there is a national Bank Holiday.This is when the whole of Notting Hill becomes the backdrop for the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival.During those three days, the whole neighbourhood shuts down, and the air is filled with colourful and boisterous street dancers and their musicians.

This is, without doubt, one of the most vibrant streets in the whole of London.It is well worth a visit on any weekend!

Green And Pleasant Land

2009-03-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

This post contains photos from locations outside London .If you ever fancy a day out from the husle-and-bustle of London, you could do worse than going down to the lovely South of England, especially the county of Sussex.

Both the picture at the top---of a scene from Rye--and the picture of Beachy Head, were taken by Eddie Anderson, an old friend of mine.

You can view more of Eddie's photos on his page: http://domus001.googlepages.com.

The most famous zebra crossing.

2009-02-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

Every single day of the year hundreds of tourists flock to a pedestrian crossing in North-West London to pay homage to four of the most famous musicians of the recent past----John, Paul, George and Ringo..

Abbey Road Studios was where they made most of their records, under the stewardship of George Martin.

The walls outside the studios are the only spot in London where nobody gets arrested for scribbling or spraying graffiti . Indeed, there is so much of the stuff that the record company managers send someone out once every few weeks to whitewash the walls....They are soon covered up by new messages.

The zebra crossing outside the studios was immotalised on the front cover of the eponymous "Abbey Road" album, which was released shortly before the four members of the Beatles split up and went their separate ways.

It has been about three decades since then, but the flow of pilgrims keep flocking to this corner of St. John's Wood. Thanks to them, the legend will never die...

Abbey Road

Two Scenes from London's West End.

2009-02-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

Here are two scenes from the West End, taken early in the morning.

The first picture is a mechanical representation of a cooper---above a pub.

Below it is a picture of Eros, in Piccadilly Circus.

Suicide Bridge

2009-02-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

I took a journey into the past early this evening, up the hill past Archway Station, up the busy Archway Road. Halfway up the hill you will see a century-old bridge which is notorious throughout London.

Suicide Bridge.

Ever since I came to live in this part of town, I have never known it to be called by any other name. Tucked away in the inner pages of the local newspapers , there used to be frequent reports of people who had jumped to their death by scaling the railings...

Suicide is always a dreadful way to die, but jumping from this height only to land on top of ( or in front of ) some unsuspecting motorist on this busy road seems such a public way of declaring despair and helplessness...

I lived for several years at the end of the road which crosses the top of the bridge---Hornsey Lane. On a couple of occasions, I would see a huddle of people at the end of the bridge, placards in hand. At other times, there would be a clutch of bouquets---they would lie there, undisturbed for a couple of weeks, only to be cleared away before the next victim decided to choose the darkness over the half-light of life's incessant struggles. Indeed, my elderly (late) ex-landlady's husband lost his life here. It is rumoured that he came back from the Second World War a broken man . He went out one night, and never came back.

The fence around the bridge has been thickened , and made a little higher, but I doubt that we will hear the last of Suicide Bridge...

London's Gone Soft.

2009-02-02T03:54:00.000-08:00

London's gone all soft...Last night we experienced a bit of wintery weather, the first snowfall for quite some time. The result? Almost all normal life has been suspended until further notice---schools are closed, all buses are off the road, and people have been told to stay at home unless they have to go out.

This means a massive loss to London's economy, since the snow is forecast to fall until Wednesday...

I ventured out after taking this photo from my window(picture above )--very picture-postcardish, very pretty, but is this totally alien to London? Should this be enough to put a major Northern European capital out of business completely?..

It is not as if London has not had snow before--when I was a child of ten, we used to walk to school alongside Clapham Common in snow three times as high as what I saw when I went out of the house this morning. Back then, we coped, and the country coped, and got on with things.

London's gone soft---too soft, in my view.

A Riot of Colour in Camden Town.

2009-01-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

A visit to Camden's markets is always interesting---especially if you enjoy large crowds.

For those of us who either live or work nearby, it is too easy to take this riot of colour for granted.

Passing by the numerous stallholders hawking their diverse wares, the various food stalls, and the hordes of tourists, it is easy to become almost dizzied by the constant assault on all of one's senses...

Looking at the photos from my recent stroll along Camden Lock the other day, these opening words from one of W.H. Auden's poems came to mind:

As I walked out one morning

Along the Bristol Street,

The crowds along the pavement

Were fields of harvest wheat....

A Statue Seen in Hampstead.

2009-01-23T16:31:00.000-08:00

A Statue Seen in Hampstead. Physically imposing, but who is he based on?..Too tall to be Ghandhi.

The Healthiest Street In London?

2009-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

I went for a stroll through Hampstead this afternoon, with a view to taking some pictures of one of London's most well-heeled and salubrious areas.

Almost every side-street has something of a story to tell, a little bit of history...

One such corner is the bucolic enclave known as The Vale of Health. It is well and truly off the beaten track, an attribute which enhances its mystery and charm...

Out of respect for the residents of the street, I shall not tell you exactly how to find your way there, but, of course it is on any map you care to open.

I was once told an apocryphal tale which sought to explain how the street acquired its name.

It is said that during the Great Plague which wiped out large portions of London's population, the bubonic-plague-causing rats were spreading very rapidly throughout London, leaving death and fear in their wake. Apparently, they were too exhausted when they reached the hilly terrain around parts of Hampstead, and were therefore unable to ascend to the the land which lay in the valley near the top of Hampstead Heath. Consequently, the inhabitants of this valley were spared the infestation of rats, and thus escaped the Plague.

The area therefore became known as the Vale of Health.

It is now a tranquil little village in the North of London. In fact, it would be easy to imagine that you are in the middle of the countryside if you had slept on the car journey here....(There is no public transport nearby---you either have to walk, or come by car).

In fact, it is only a few minutes away from a busy main road, but the entrance is fairly well-hidden.

Incidentally, the inhabitants of the street( it is actually a collection of three or four intersecting streets) do not seem to be too keen on unannounced visitors, judging from the wary looks, and twitchy curtains which always greet me whenever I have been there...I don't blame them for wanting to guard their secret domain so jealously---it is truly beautiful here. If you could hear the dawn chorus of birds chirping in the trees around here , you would imagine you were experiencing an out-of-body experience which had taken you somewhere light years away from London. Little wonder then that so many writers and poets have lived around here throughout the ages.

I stopped to say “hello” to a couple of builders who were renovating a house, and explained why I was there. One of them told me that the extension to the Jubilee Line part of the Underground Railway had had to be diverted as a result of the discovery of a large burial ground where the casualties of the Great Plague had been interred.

Well, I seem to learn something new every day.

Eccentric Camden

2009-01-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

A Shoe Shop facade in Camden High Street, on the way to the popular Camden Markets.

There are many examples of eccentric shopfronts in this area, and I shall be posting a few more photos from there soon.

I don't really like going there at weekends, as something like 2 million visitors pass through the world-famous markets every weekend, making the whole place a bit too lively for my liking!

However, if you are a visitor to London, it is one of the "must-see" sights. There are so many sounds, sights, aromas to beguile and excite you there...

Stalin, Bond Street, and Israel-Palestine.

2009-01-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

I went down to Bond Street the other day with a view to taking a photo of an artefact which I had noticed fleetingly some time ago. My camera's batteries decided to go on strike just as I made to shoot---it gobbles up batteries the way a lizard consumes flies...What struck me was an odd feature of the (double) statue—can you see what is wrong here?..Well, the anomaly struck me straight away; of course, there should have been three elderly gentlemen portrayed on the bench. This was, after all, one of the most famous photos of the last century now transformed into a three-dimensional statue.
However, the photo shows three men---Churchill, Eisenhower, and...Stalin.
They met , as war-time allies, in the Black Sea resort of Yalta, as the Second World War was reaching its conclusion. Broadly speaking, they met to decide how to deal with the Axis Powers once they had defeated them..
My question is: why has Stalin been left out of a reproduction of such a world-famous
picture? Is it an attempt at airbrushing the “bad man” out of a now-unpalatable facet of history? If that is the case, Stalin would have been proud, at least with this method of making a political opponent “disappear”!
The apparent message seems to be that Britain and America were alone in the fight against Fascism...I see it as an opportunity wasted to educate younger generations as to what really happened in those dark days, even if this picture was taken after the famous group photo.
Political airbrushing of a similar kind is now occuring on our televison screens. We are confronted daily with images of defenceless Palestinians watching helplessly as their neighbourhoods are bombed to smithereens, their lives shattered beyond repair...
In the meantime, our leaders unflinchingly parrot the shameless justifications provided by their American masters. They, in turn follow the script which has been force-fed them by their Zionist masters---we learned only last week that the outgoing Israeli Prime Minister is able to drag the President of the United States out from the middle of a speech in order to dictate to him how to cast his vote in a United Nations vote on a possible caesefire to the present conflict in Gaza. The tail wags the dog...
At least, we have a handful of newspapers over here who are able to tell us the facts as they are. Without reading such excellent publications as “The Independent”, one would be ignorant of the reality behind the air-brushed version of it. The Israeli propaganda machine's representative in London has been allowed to repeat the half- truth that Israel “withdrew” from Gaza several years ago...I have yet to hear an interviewer challenge this assertion by pointing out that the Israelis still control all the access to Gaza's air and sea routes, electricity and water supply. Their borders are controlled by the Israelis, Egypt seems unable or unwilling to open its border.
In fact, elements of the Right have been up in arms because a functionary in the Vatican
used a most-appropriate term to describe the situation in Gaza...The term “concentration camp” has riled more than a few Zionist sympathisers.
What is it about human beings? How is it that those who have long suffered under oppression can prove themselves so accomplished in inflicting such brutality on others?
We are still being cajoled into thinking of Israel as the defenceless “little guy”, while the Palestinians are exhorted to relax because “it is not they who are being targeted”. The F16s which are knocking out their homes, schools, municipal buildings, etc., are “only aimed at the Hamas terrorists”.
Almost every interview with an Israeli representaive includes the term “terrorist”. No-one thinks fit to remind them that their state was founded as a result of “terrorism”....To do so is to run the risk of being labelled “Anti-Semitic” .
As I write, the rockets still rain down on Israeli towns, The tanks are still patrolling the centre of Gaza, and thousands are dying. Just as unrelentingly, the photoshopping of modern reality continues...

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all. Let us work towards a peaceful and harmonious 2009.
The past few weeks have been hectic and very demanding, that is why I have been “away from the keyboard” for a while; my new ambition (I shall not call it a resolution) is to become a prolific blogger this year. Having bought myself a new digital camera, I have also decided to take a lot of photographs of London.
I popped out to try and obtain a few snapshots, but today has been comprehensively grey and downcast, so I felt it would have been a waste of time.
However, I popped the old SD card into my new camera, and selected a picture which might cheer you up a bit more.
The photo of the gigantic table and chair were taken on Hampstead Heath about five or six years ago. Apparently, they are the work of an eccentric Italian artist whose name escapes me...You can imagine the size of the objects by comparing them to the full-sized trees in the background.
The installation was not left out there for long—as I recall, it was removed after a couple of weeks..Not very long, but such artefacts do tend to add to the gaeity of nations!!!

Dinner at Clapham Junction(A Nostalgic Multi-Racial Gathering).

2008-12-06T22:43:00.000-08:00

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Dinner at Clapham Junction (A Nostalgic Multi-Racial Gathering).

Last Thursday evening (4^th of November) a group of us, all boyhood friends , gathered for dinner at the Gourmet Cafe , Lavender Hill, near Clapham Junction. It was a meeting which had been a nightmare to arrange.

One of our group, B, a manager of a betting shop, had won a substantial amount of money by betting on Obama to become President of the U.S.A. He decided to use his substantial winnings by treating his mates to a dinner at the Gourmet Cafe, a lovely “eat-as- much-as-you-like “ establishment which is based in what used to be a bank. It is a stone's throw away from Clapham Junction Station, almost directly opposite Asda.

The evening was almost inevitably going to be a boisterous and jolly affair, what with there being 9 adults, some of whom had not seen each other for over 30 years. There was an awful lot of catching-up to do, anecdotes to swap, tales to tell...

One thing stood out -- one noticed how diverse our group was---one of Chinese/ South African origin, one of West African descent, one of Afro-Caribbean parenthood, one of Northern Irish background, two of Indian/East-African stock, one Anglo-Italian, one whose parents were Greek, and one full-blooded Englishman( married to a lady from Mexico)...It was a heart-warming dinner which would not have been out of place in the cafeteria of the United Nations Building!!!..Well, perhaps without the raucous laughter, and the puerile humour....

The Gourmet Cafe concept is a great one, and it seems to be a bustling, thriving place. Throughout our couple of hours there, we saw a constant coming and going of customers---a popular buffet with fresh food will always attract custom if it is in a good location, and the price is right. At this restaurant, you can fill yourself up for £6.90. Drinks are extra.

We then left for a nearby pub for even more chat and banter, and a few drinks. Fortunately, we had taken the precaution of eating well beforehand, thereby reducing the

possibility of suffering a hangover the following day...I felt sorry for those who had to turn up for work in the morning----after all, some of these guys were in fairly senior positions of great responsibility....

The bar staff kicked everybody out at eleven thirty ---far too early for a major city like London, but perhaps it is not economically viable for them to open beyond that time on a Thursday night.

We all felt a warm glow of brotherly love as we walked down to Clapham Junction, some to catch trains to Surrey and Sussex, others to catch buses to West and North London, and yet others only had to walk round the corner to go home.

This is the area around which we all grew up. Our school, Spencer Park, a stone's throw away, has long been defunct—closed because of a drop in the birth-rate—even the Chapel is now a French restaurant...

There were fraternal hugs all round, with all of us vowing to repeat the experience soon....I jumped on the bus feeling a warm glow, a reminder of a balmy past, a relatively- innocent time when we were teenagers growing up around Clapham Junction.

Click here to buy art prints!/p>

Homelessness in London.

2008-11-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

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Homelessness in London.

There is a little old lady who is often to be seen in the Camden/Kentish Town area.No matter what the weather is, she roams around in several layers of clothing, including a tatty overcoat. She pushes around a supermarket trolley which is overladen with all her worldly belongings. These seem to consist of piles of old newspapers and bits of cardboard, in addition to a few tattered clothes in plastic bags. Judging from her behaviour, one can surmise that she suffers from some form of mental problem.

Like Sisyphus of old, she seems destined to keep pushing a load which never gets any lighter...

This is one of the many faces of homelessness in London—the richest city in the world's fourth or fifth biggest economy...

At around midnight, near Trafalgar Square, you can always see a long queue of homeless people waiting to receive a cup of warm soup and a sandwich from some of the charities which try to make them as comfortable as possible. The queue opposite Charing Cross Station is sometimes a long one...

Although there are hostels for the homeless available in many parts of London, some people detest them because of the tension and frustration which they often encounter there. Some of the older people who have been living on the streets for a long time become fatalistic, and see no way out of their situation. Often, when they try to get jobs they are rejected outright, either because of their appearance, or because they do not have a fixed address or bank account....Very often, they can not obtain either of those without a steady job...

Others try to obtain casual jobs in the catering industry, but they find that their labour is only required for one or two days, or even only for a few hours. After that, they are back where they began...

The problem stems largely from the lack of affordable municipal housing. When Mrs. Thatcher decided to force the local councils to sell off a large portion of their housing stock, she stipulated that the resulting receipts were to be “frozen”, and not to be used to build more publicly- owned houses. The theory was that “private” was good, and “public” housing was “Socialist”, therefore bad. The result, even two decades later, is a dire shortage of housing in a crowded capital.

Anyone who goes out in Central London at night will encounter the homeless, many of whom will be pleading for spare change. My policy is never to give to those who look as if they are drunk----you will just be feeding their alcoholism, thereby aggravating their situation.

It is far better to buy a copy of “The Big Issue”, a paper which is devoted entirely to helping the homeless. It is sold by homeless people, and they receive around half the sale price. This gives them a sense of self-worth, and, incidentally, it is a good read.

Disappearing Phone Booths and The Rise Of The Mobile Phone.

2008-11-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

Disappearing Phone Booths and The Rise Of The Mobile . Red Phone Box

The speed with which Lononers (and Britons in general) have taken to the mobile phone has been truly astonishing. Barely ten years ago, the whole of London was covered with telephone booths. Every High Street had some, and there was one available within walking distance in every residential area.
However, the arrival of the mobile phone (or "cellphone" as the Americans call it) soon meant that the many of the telephone booths rapidly fell into disuse. Whereas the then- Conservative (and recent Labour ) governments'
obsession with the wholesale privatisation of long-established public utilities had spawned a host of competing telecoms companies,each with its own phone booths, the mobile phone's arrival meant that there was soon a glut of empty, desolate boxes littering the streets.
It now seems that the long-established red phone boxes may disappear altogether---probably to be sold off one by one for those who want to decorate their gardens!

Two Cheers For America.

2008-11-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

Two Cheers For America.

The past few days have been spent watching an inordinate (by my standards) amount of television, in addition

to the usual time I spend in front of The Web. The cause of this is, of course, the recent elections in the

U.S.
Everwhere you go, all the talk has been of Obama and his Republican opponents...The impression I got from

reading the newspapers over here is an overwhelmingly- positive view of the new President. Even though the

British press tend to be predominantly right-wing , most papers which I've come across have tended to favour

the election of Obama as President.
On Wednesday, as I watched the television coverage of the scenes of unbridled joy from America, I felt a

trickle of involuntary tears running down my cheeks. The sense of euphoria was palpable---even thousands of

miles from the scene of the action. There was a sense of renewed hope--a feeling of warmth and brotherliness

towards the people of America, a sigh of relief at finally looking forward to seeing the back of Bush,

Cheney, and co...I raised two cheers for America, but only two...

Posters For All Tastes.

The cynic in me raised his head when I cast my mind back to 1997. The scenes we witnessed on televison

from America were reminiscent of what we saw over here in London when Tony Blair became Prime

Minister. Back then, we saw the same feeling of relief, the same expectation of change...I then thought back

to the 2-million -person march which I participated in from Euston to Hyde Park, via Piccadilly. So many

diverse groups and individuals had decided that the imminent invasion of Iraq was a totally foolhardy venture

of which this country should have no part. Tony Blair decided to answer us with disdain, having made up

his mind the previous spring to join George W. Bush in his new adventure. We all know what the

consequences of this escapade are...
How powerful will be the forces of reaction who will try their best to influence events? How much can the

suffering people of the Third World expect from the new President, especially as his own country faces tough

times? Will he still maintain subsidies on agricultural produce which the Wretched of the Earth rely on for

trade? What about the promise of an undivided Jerusalem only fit for Jews?
Sure, change has come to America, through free and fair elections,and African-Americans can now begin to

feel that they too belong ( there won't be floating corpses in a flooded New Orleans while the

Commander-in-Chief plays golf), but what will the new Administration be able to change?
For the sake of the whole planet, I hope that whatever Obama manages to achieve, it will help to make

this world a more clean, safe and just place. All our futures depend on it.

2008-11-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

London's Disappearing Toilets
Questions have recentlly been raised in Parliament regarding the lack of provision of Public Lavatories .This is not a new phenomenon, but part of a trend of disappearing public facilities throughout the country.
It is in London, the capital of the country, and the city with the greatest concentration of tourists, where this is most acutely felt. For years, ever since the privatisation boom of the Eighties, Londoners have seen a fast shrinking of the number of publicly-run toilets.
Even in a busy tourist hotspot like Camden Town there is very little provision of public lavatories. Every weekend around two million visitors descend on this part of North London , principally in order to shop in one of the colourful markets which are based there. There are free public toilets near the Underground Station, but these close at around six o'clock. In the evening, thousands more people flock there to visit pubs, nightclubs, and restaurants. As the toilets are closed by the time these establishments close, it is not uncommon to see people urinating in doorways of shops and alleyways. Such a state of affairs is clearly unsatisfactory. Further up the road, other public toilets have been sold off altogether.
In many parts of London, the premises which once housed toilets are now haidressers' salons, estate agents' offices, or other commercial premises---but none of them are in use as lavatories. Some of the French-made unmanned slot-machine operated 24-hour toilets have made an appearance in a few spots, but they are not universally liked...Horror stories abound of their doors opening while still occupied, and there are some which seem to be frequently out of order.
In many cases, the only course of action left to someone who is on the lookout for a lavatory is to go into a pub, and use the facilities in there ; the only problem is that most pubs will not allow you to use their toilets unless you are a paying customer...This means that you are first obliged to buy a drink (thereby consuming more liquid), and then use the toilet---thereby compounding the problem ....

A Bus Journey

2008-10-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

A Bus Journey

At the moment, all the talk is of The Crisis (also known as The Credit Crunch, The Global Recession, The Slowdown etc.). Having stayed indoors all day, I became a little depressed with the repetition of the gloomy news emanating from the radio, as well as Channel Four News....I therefore decided to go and stretch my limbs a little, and took a bus into Camden.
London buses are a strange phenomenon. Ever since I can remember, well at least since 1966 when our family arrived here, it has been quite common to wait for half an hour or more for a bus , only to see two or three of them arrive simultaneously! Nobody has ever been able to give a convincing explanation for this, and countless initiatives started by the former Mayor, Ken Livingstone, do not appear to have eliminated this irritating occurence.
Livingstone's administration spent millions of pounds on new buses, including the single-deck articulated "bendy buses", but, outside of the rush hours, it is possible to be left stranded at the bus stop for a vehicle which does not operate to any discernible timetable. I once fell into conversation with an exasperated fellow-passenger-to-be who speculated that the reason why three buses were emerging from the same terminus was that the drivers were sitting round playing cards with each other!
During the day, you can see uniformed inspectors dotted along most bus routes. They are charged with ensuring that the buses arrive on time; it must be a very difficult task, given the volume of traffic in London. Even the existence of exclusive bus lanes does not guarantee that passengers will arrive at their destination on time. Most of the time, the buses are fine, but I cannot help but feel that the introduction of the single-person modern buses has slowed down the traffic. Nowadays, the person who drives the bus is also responsible for collecting fares and issuing tickets, thereby further slowing it down.All the ticket collectors (conductors) have been laid off with the disappearance of the old Routemaster buses.
The one great advantage of travelling on the bus is the amount of money you save--especially if you buy a weekly Bus Pass. I pay £13.00 for a pass which allows me to travel throughout Central London. Thirteen pounds for a week's travel is a bargain, when you consider that a single-journey ticket costs two pounds!
As a consequence, I have not used the Underground train for over 2 years...I like to see what is going on around me as I travel, but there is no scenery on the Underground.

Food for The Soul in Holloway.

2008-10-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Food for the soul in Holloway

Finding somewhere to eat in London can present a major problem for the unwary visitor---there is an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. Anyone wandering down any of the main streets in the centre of town will be faced with the usual array of multinational fast-food brand outlets, as well as smaller outlets specialising in a wide variety of foods of the different ethnic groups which have estalished themselves here.
In general, you will find at least one "Indian" and one Chinese restaurant in every locality. Most of them offer a home delivery service at night. While the Chinese restaurants sometimes vary slightly in what they offer, being from different regions, the "Indian" restaurants are overwhelmingly owned by people from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh.
All ( or most) ethnic restaurants have a reputation for cheapness, and recently this has begun to cause problems for their owners. The pressure to keep prices down has meant that these restaurant are finding it hard to recruit and keep staff, considering the low wages which they can afford to pay.
As a consequence, the quality of the food varies from place to place.
One area which is bursting with eating places is Holloway. The area boasts everything from Ethiopian to Korean restaurants. Three of my favourites are located around the Holloway Road-Seven Sisters Road area.
If you come out of the Caledonian Road Underground Station, jump on a bus going towards the Seven Sisters Road (ask the driver), or walk the 10 minutes or so. Cross the Seven Sisters Road, and walk North. A few yards up the road, you will encounter The "Amazon Cafe. " Over here you can have a good, home-made meal lovingly-prepared by the women-only staff. I have only ever had a late breakfast here, but I can assure you that it is marvellous. Everything is freshly-prepared, and it shows...
A little further up the same side of the road you will encounter the Crystal Kebab House. This is a legendary little cafe with good food, and low prices. After early evening, there is always a queue to be served---the high turnover of customers means that customers are assured of fresh Turkish food.
Come back to the Seven Sisters Road , and take the bus 91. Get off at the second stop as it turns into Hornsey Road. Two or three doors away from "The Plough " pub, you will see "Mr.Cee,s ", a very good-value Caribbean Restaurant. Delicious Jamaican specialities await you in this friendly family-run establishment. Their Curried Goat with Rice and Peas is heavenly!!!
After filling up at any of these three restaurants, you can get on the bus 91 back to Trafalgar Square, or continue to enjoy yourself in the Holloway area. Bon appetit!

Some Top-Rated Hotels in London, England.

2008-09-26T02:07:00.000-07:00

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Some Top Rated Hotels in London, England

When traveling to London, England, it is important to choose a quality hotel. Please continue reading on to see what a few of your options include.

The Landmark London

The Landmark London is located at 222 Marylebone Road, directly across from the Marylebone Tube Station. It is a short distance from the theatre district of London

The Landmark London is known for its beauty and use of gothic architecture. You will find many gothic icons, as well as a large eight-story glass atrium. The décor of this popular hotel is defined as having a cross between Eastern influences and British authenticity.

Room amenities include a free newspaper, air conditioning, refrigerator, telephone, television, daily maid service, safe, balcony, mini-bar, and a private fireplace. As for hotel amenities, they include free high-speed internet, swimming pool, a health club, and hot tub, just to name a few.

As for what guests had to say, many cannot wait until they can return again. Many liked the close proximity to Regents Park, the coziness of the rooms, and the friendly service.

The Sofitel London St. James

The Sofitel London St. James is located at 6 Waterloo Place. Its convenient location, which is near Buckingham Palace, makes this hotel even better.

The Sofitel London St. James is a luxury, yet historical hotel. It has a French restaurant onsite, as well as the St. James bar. It is perfect for all types of traveling, including family vacations, romantic getaways, honeymoons, and even business trips.

Room amenities at the hotel include air conditioning, free newspaper, refrigerator, iron, television, telephone, daily maid service, internet access, safe, coffee maker, fitness equipment, mini-bar, and a small kitchen. The hotel itself is home to a dry cleaning service, luxury health club, health spa, car rental desk, and a family room.

The Royal Horseguards

The Royal Horseguards is located at 2 Whitehall Court. It is found inside a stylish French chateau. The Royal Horseguards is most well-known for its beauty, as well as its convenient location. It is a quick walk away from the Houses of Parliament, the Victoria Embankment Gardens, and Big Ben.

Room amenities at the Royal Horseguards include air conditioning, refrigerator, telephone, television, daily maid service, internet access, safe, coffee maker, balcony, and mini-bar. The hotel is also home to dry cleaning services, dining facilities, golf, family rooms, a car rental desk, and a health club.

As for what guests have to say about the Royal Horseguards, many state it was the ultimate experience. The hotel was clean and the staff was friendly. Depending on who you ask, some disliked the constant sounding of Big Ben, but others loved to hear it.

One Aldwych

One Aldwych is located at just that 1 Aldwych in London. This award-winning hotel’s unique and modern design is attractive from the outside, but just the same on the inside. Speaking of inside, you will find a helpful staff and a beautiful art collection.

Room amenities at One Aldwych include air conditioning, free newspaper, refrigerators, telephone, television, microwave oven, daily maid service, internet access, safe, mini-bar, and balcony. As for the hotel, it is home to family rooms, a fitness center, swimming pool, dining facilities, health club, and spa.

As for what tourists have to say about one Aldwych, most loved its location. It is situated in the center of the London in Covent Garden, resulting in beautiful views. Most liked the location, as well as the staff.

The Milestone Hotel

The Milestone Hotel is located at 1 Kensington Court. Its beautiful view overlooks the nearby palace and gardens. Located just fifteen miles away from the Heathrow International Airport, a stay at this hotel is not only luxurious, but convenient.

Room amenities at the Milestone hotel include wireless internet, air conditioning, free newspaper, television, telephone, iron, refrigerator, daily made service, room service, safe, coffee maker, balcony, mini-bar, and fireplace. The hotel is home to a fitness center, swimming pool, restaurant, health club, and hot tub.

As for what guests have to say about the Milestone Hotel, some thought it was overpriced, while others commented that the price was more than worth the experience. The great service and beautiful décor was also noted.

2008-09-21T08:54:00.001-07:00

Some Must-See Attractions in London, England.

Are you in the mist of planning a trip to London, England? If you are, you may be wondering what you can do and see while there. Granted, there are thousands of places for you to visit, including landmarks, museums, shops, and restaurants, there are five attractions that you must visit. These attractions, a few of which are outlined below, make a trip to London worth the journey.

1 – Buckingham Palace

The Buckingham Palace is the most well-known landmark in all of London. As for its history, it was built in 1702. Throughout the years, it changed hands many times and underwent numerous restoration projects. It was in 1837 when it became the home of royalty. The first monarch to live there was Queen Victoria. Today, the palace is home to The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. It is also used for administrative purposes. In fact, it is one of the few working palaces remaining in the world.

If traveling to London in August or September, you can tour the palace’s State Rooms. Tours are only available during the summer. Throughout the year, you will find the Changing of the Guards. On average, a Changing of the Guard ceremony occurs every other day. A visit to the nearby Queen’s Gallery is recommended as well.

2 – The London Eye

The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is located in the Kensington and Chelsea neighborhoods of London at Westminster Bridge Road. It is one of London’s most popular attractions.

The London Eye is a large Ferris wheel. It stands 443 feet tall. Due to its popularity, you might assume a long wait, but that is actually rare. In fact, most purchase reserved tickets. There are 32 capsules and up to 25 people can fit in each. Lasting 30 minutes, a ride on the London Eye enables you to see the London like you had never seen it before and for up to 25 miles away.

3 – The Houses of Parliaments

Located on Westminster Road in the Westminster and St. James neighborhoods of London, you will find the Houses of Parliaments. Its gothic architecture makes this landmark quite the attraction, but its history is just as important and beautiful.

The Houses of Parliament have been home to the British government for over 900 years! It is situated on eight acres of land. It is also home to 1,100 rooms, 11 courtyards, and 100 staircases. Admission is free and you can visit the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Guided tours are also available.

After a visit to the Houses of Parliament, stop by for a long look up at Big Ben, which is located nearby.

4 – The Westminster Abbey

The Westminster Abbey is another well-known London attraction. In fact, it attracts over one million visitors each year! It is located in the Westminster and St. James neighborhoods of London at 20 Dean’s Yard.

The Westminster Abbey is referred to as a “Medieval architectural masterpiece.” Throughout the years, it has been home to many royal events. It’s official website calls it “a living pageant of British history.” Inside, you will find a museum that is home to many 13th century works of art and the St. Margaret’s Church. When visiting, you can opt for a guided tour, independent tour with the use of an audio guide, or you can participate in Sunday church services.

5 – The London Tower Bridge

The Tower Bridge is located on Tower Hill in the Waterloo and Southwark neighborhoods of London. Although you may not recognize the name, you will the structure when it enters into your sight. It is one of London’s most recognized attractions and has been featured in many movies and books.

The Tower Bridge is comprised of two towers with two connecting elevated walkways and a working bascule bridge below. The elevated walkways are home to special viewing windows, which do not hamper the quality of your photographs. Onsite, you will find a small museum that has interactive exhibits, as well as historical films playing.

Although able to tour the Tower Bridge independently, the behind the scenes and evening tours present a once in a lifetime opportunity for all tourists.