Enjoy Your Visit To London And Take a Tour
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.
Touring London via an organised excursion is an exciting option. It is also the quickest way of making sure one sees a vast amount of sights within a short space of time. Choosing the best tour depends upon an individuals taste, and there is no shortage of tours to choose from. The tours on offer range from ‘ghost tours’ to ‘walking tours’, and everything inbetween from historic sights and tours of the famous taverns.
London has a population of over 7 million and is one of the most diverse and cultural cities in the world. The different cultures vary in accordance with the many different faiths, backgrounds and countries of origin the people come from. With all the different ethnicities comes different languages, there are more than three hundred different languages spoken within London. The most common of course is English but others include: Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Gujarati and Bengali to name just a few. The only way to really experience these different cultures is to wander amongst them.
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.
Some of the finest writers from literary circles have been associated with, or lived in London for a short while. One such famous figure is that of William Shakespeare. There are a number of tours associated with Shakespeare, which will also take in a visit to the reconstructed Globe Theatre. The theatre has been built close to the orignal site at Bear Gardens, SE1.
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.
There is more than one great author on the list of literary tours, one such name is that of Charles Dickens. He has more associations with London than Shakespeare. Dickens has lived in many addresses across London. His first known home was at 16 Bayham Street where he stayed as a boy. That particular address is no longer in place, but a plaque is in place at number 141 Bayham Street. One other address no longer standing is 1 Devonshire Terrace which was home to Dickens in 1839. An office block now stands at 15-17 Marylebone Road which is where Devonshire Terrace was once located. The only other residence of Dickens’ still in place is 48 Doughty Street where the Dickens Museum is now housed.
Everyone likes a bargain, and if books are ones passsion then the South Bank Book Market is a must see place. Found outside the National Film Theatre at Riverside Walk SE1 the market is open on saturdays and sundays and has been in existence since 1982. In the summer the opening times are 10.30 am – 6.30 pm, and in the winter 12pm to 5.30 pm. There are a great number of secondhand stalls where everyones tastes are catered for.
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