London Tours Are The Best Way To Take In The Sights
July 17, 2008
One of the most interesting cities in the UK is London. Not only is it the capital city, but it is a city with a vast amount of things to do. London has a colourful history, and a large proportion of tourist attractions are related to this. Of course, the first thing to come to mind when thinking of London is the Queen and Royal Family. London is an enormous city and navigating your way around can be tricky. To take the stress out of this there are plenty of organised tours where one can sit back and relax. If a tour is not to your liking, then the easiest way to get about is the underground or Tube.
When visiting London the easiest way to see everything you want is by booking a tour. For the more energetic there is a walking tour. There are also tours specifically for the younger generation. One of the favoured tours is on an open top ‘red bus’ (weather permitting), a rare sight these days. Other interesting tours are those of the taverns, historic monuments and ‘rock and roll’ tours.
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.
London has many markets that are well worth a visit. One of the oldest markets is Billingsgate Fish Market. This market dates back to 500 BC and only moved to its present location in 1962 (Isle of Dogs). The longest street market in the United Kingdom is Walthamstowe Market which is just over a mile long (1.61 km). The smells and sights have to be seen to be believed, and a visit to any one of the many markets in London will not disappoint. If a market is not to your taste then Camden Town has plenty to offer the serious shopper.
London has many sights and things to do for the tourist interested in Literature. William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the famous poet and playwright has connections with London. His famous Globe Theatre was sited in London, and even though the original theatre no longer exists, it is possible to visit and watch performances at the newly constructed Globe Theatre, which is close to the site of Shakespeare’s original theatre. There are a lot of different tours available with a Shakespearean connection.
Shakespeare was not only a playwright but also an actor. He was also a shareholder in the original Globe Theatre, which was built in the period 1598-1609. Tragedy occurred in 1613 when the theatre was rendered to the ground. The thatch roof of the theatre caught fire when a canon set off on stage hit the thatched roof. The theatre was repaired and opened up again as soon as possible (1614). The doors finally closed on the Globe in 1642 and it was finally knocked down 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.
South Bank Book Market, situated at Riverside Walk SE1 is one of the best places to buy books. The market takes place every weekend (saturday and sunday) and is open from 10.30 am to about 7 pm during the summer. In the winter the opening hours are shorter (12 pm to 5.30 pm). There has been a book market here since 1982.
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