London: city of cities, a legend around the world

by Neil Stacey

There is a famous quotation: “You’ll find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” by 18th century English author Samuel Johnson, and it’s hard to disagree with the man.

So she’s dirty and grimy, one of the most expensive mistresses in the world, houses a dysfunctional transport system where congestion is so bad that cars are charged extortionate fees to visit her and so she has seven different words for rain (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…) but who cares? All minor details in the grand scale of things.

A Lonely Planet tourist book once described her as "a city of yobs, bigots, dirt, homeless people and pigeons."

Attacking Londoners’ attitude to other people saying they would "no more speak to a stranger in the street than fly to the moon." What do they know?

London is London, it’s a microcosm of life; it is anything you want her to be, and one of the great cities the world over.

Her history is unrivalled around the globe - gloriously long and colourful. She’s over a thousand years older than New York (who says older women can’t be attractive?), bigger in size than Paris (who says big is not beautiful?) and more cosmopolitan than Rome.

London is a survivor

Indeed, from her ancient Roman roots, her kings, queens and many conquests, her rapid growth as the hub of the British Empire, and her modernday standing as one of the world’s leading financial, industrial and cultural capitals, London is a city full of character, characters and courage.

She’s stood defiantly against plague, fire, civil wars, aerial bombardment and terror attacks. Often blooded and bruised, but never bowed, always coming back, bigger and stronger than before.

While penicillin, discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming in a London hospital, saves the lives of millions, London was also the home of the most notorious serial killer of the 19th century - Jack The Ripper.

Cockney rhyming slang

Such contradictions only add to the citys’ rich historial tapestry. Although never caught, Jack the Ripper still lives on in London – namely as a phrase that has entered into the citys’ very own language: Cockney rhyming slang. (It means kippers or strippers by the way.)

Born in the East end – a colourful quarter of the capital, home to street traders, gangsters and dodgy dealings a-plenty, this language was almost incoherent to people outside the local fraternity – especially the police – or the bottles (Bottles and stoppers – coppers).

Samuel Johnson was right, how can you be bored with London? With the history, the stories, the legends and the myths. From the canals and market stalls of Camden to the regal parks; from the famous landmarks to the Monopoly board streets, from The Beatles recording studio in Abbey Road to the London cabbies with their willingness to share opinions on quite literally everything – London ticks every box and so much more.

But you don’t need me to mark your card for the must-see places and the highlights our fair city has to offer. Put simply, London has so many great places to see it’s hard to know which are the ones not to be missed.

Every taste is catered for, no matter how bizarre or diverse. You all know what I’m talking about, don’t pretend you don’t.

Whether pink, blue, black, brown or white, you’ve seen it, you’ve done it and you’ve probably bought the t-shirt (from the many market stalls that line the streets.) And what does the t-shirt say? Simple – I love London!