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London is one of the finest
capital cities to be found anywhere by Stephen Morgan
London is one of the finest
capital cities to be found anywhere. Contrary to popular belief this is
not some feeble attempt at plagiarising advertising copy from other major
cities in the world.
 Bad
times and good, I have lived and worked in London through them all.
From its darkest hours in
the 1970s and the 80s at the height of the IRA terrorist campaigns to the
ecstasy of winning the 2012 Olympics and the Queens Jubilee. London has
had the experience and gravity to treat both with equal respect.
I remember travelling through
London to return home to Northern Ireland where I now live on the day the
news broke that Princess Diana had tragically been killed in a car accident
in Paris. The sense of grief and shock were overwhelming as total strangers
just blindly made their way to Kensington Palace to lay flowers at the
people’s memorial. Contrast this with the day in 2005 of the Live 8 festival
at Hyde Park when the city resounded to rock music belting out across its
entire centre.
There is History almost round
very corner in London. History that it would appear that most Londoners
take for granted.
 Take
the changing of the guard for instance. This happens everyday at Betty
and Phil’s place at the end of the mall. Perhaps I should be slightly more
serious at this point because most onlookers will realize this point I
am of course referring to Buckingham Palace and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh. Tradition is such that occasionally
it gets altered and none more so than when after the awful events of 911
the band of the guards performed the Star-Spangled Banner in front of visiting
American tourists instead off the traditional God Save the Queen.
It was important to note
the significance of this event in that it was the only time that any other
national anthem had been played at the changing of the guards instead off
God Save the Queen.
It could be argued that it
is incidents like this that go to sum up exactly what a rich variety of
tradition and history exists in London. Unlike other major international
capital cities, London may lack perhaps the historic grandeur of the Parthenon
in Athens or the Coliseum in Rome but through out London you will find
examples of perhaps a more modern architecture (though no less splendid
and impressive) such as the mother of all parliaments, the Houses of Parliament
in Westminster or the serenity of St Paul’s Cathedral a survivor of many
centuries and in many ways every bit as impressive now as in the days of
its design under the architect Sir Christopher Wren.
If nothing else the building
of St Paul’s Cathedral is a testament to survival itself having both survived
the Great Fire of London in the 16th Century and then four hundred years
later the Blitz in World War II.
Possibly the existence of
living history such as St. Paul's Cathedral in the heart of such a modern
and a bustling city of London really sums up the overall appeal of London
where there is such an amazing and historic blend of old and new.
You have absolutely no chance
of being disappointed you come to visit London.
About the Author:
Stephen Morgan writes about
a great many issues on the Internet and more about the above can be found
at Self
Catering London, Self Catering London and http://www.homefromhome.co.uk/site/self_catering |
