Enjoy Your Visit To London And Take a Tour
July 19, 2008
The largest and most interesting city to visit in England is the capital city, London. The city always has something to do, or somewhere to visit that will suit everyone. The most famous attractions of course are the Royal Family and the Queen, and the traditional ceremonies that are synonymous with them. Travelling around can be quite tiresome and troublesome, as London is a huge city. There are many ways of getting around, the two most popular ways to see London are either the Tube (London underground), or via an organised tour. The Tube is popular as there is a tube station near to every tourist spot.
If time is an issue when visiting London then one of the many tours available is ideal. This is the best way to see as many attractions as possible in as little time as possible. The only problem will be which tour to choose from. There are tours of historic monuments, musical history, educational, and haunted (ghost) tours. Tours of the pubs are very popular as are the walking tours. The younger generation is not forgotten as there are tours more suited to them as well.
For the more culturally minded tourist London is an ideal destination. With a population of over 7,000,000, London is by far the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe. As you walk around it soon becomes obvious just how culturally diverse the city is. In fact there are over three hundred different languages spoken within London. The different ethnic backgrounds differ according to country of origin and religion. Of course we must not forget the English language, the most common of all. Other languages to be heard are Hokkien, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin and Gujarati.
One thing about London which many folk find extremely exciting is the vast number of shops and shopping opportunities. Camden Town is very popular with its colourful array of shops and stores. If browsing through the markets is more your cup of tea then there are numerous exciting examples in London, the oldest is Billingsgate Fish Market which originates from around 500 BC, and only moved to the Isle of Dogs in 1962. London also boasts the longest street market in the United Kingdom (Walthastowe Market).
The relationship between London and Literature runs deep. One of the most widely known literary figure is poet, actor and playwright William Shakespeare (born 1564, died 1616). Of course most people visiting London will have some knowledge of the works of Shakespeare as he is one of the most important writers in the English Language. For those people studying, or just with a strong interesti in, Shakespeare there are a number of tours which take in the important places associated with Bard with some specially designed to cater for this trade with many including the viewing of a performance, of one of his plays, at the Globe Theatre.
The original Globe was constructed from 1598 to 1609 and William Shakespeare, as well as being a writer and actor there, was one the shareholders. It was during one of the more spectacular performances that the theatre burnt down, apparently a canon set alight the thatch roof. Rebuilding and repair quickly commenced and the theatre was ready for business again in 1614. Sadly it was forced to close for good by the Puritans, and flattened in 1644.
Charles Dickens is another famous person from the world of literature who has close ties with London, and there are numerous tours affiliated with him. When he was a child Dickens lived at 16 Bayham Street, Camden. Today however you will find a plaque at 141 Bayham Street, this is because number 16 has been demolished. Another of his home still stands and that is now the Dickens Museum (48 Doughty Street). Unfortunately the remainder of Dickens homes are no longer standing. One such home is 1 Devonshire Terrace, where Dickens lived in 1839. Today an office block is in its place at Marylebone Road.
There has been a fantastic book market in London since 1982. OUtside the National Film Theatre one will find South Bank Book Market. The book market takes place at the weekend all year round, the only difference being the opening times, longer in the summer (10.30am - 6.30 pm) and shorter in the winter (12pm - 5.30 pm). Bargains galore can be found amongst the many secondhand book stalls.
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