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Friday 29 July 2016

London

  
Facts in brief about London
Population: 1991 census—6,378,600.
Area: 1,580 km2.
Climate: Average temperature— January, 4° C; July, 17” C Aver­age annual precipitation (rainfall, melted snow, and other forms of moisture)—61 cm. For the monthly weather in Lon­don, see United Kingdom (Climate).


Government: Thirty-two borough governments, each consist­ing mainly of elected councils and headed by a mayor; and the City of London government made up of the lord mayor, 24 aldermen, and 136 common councilmen.
Founded: City of London— about A.D. 43.

A.D. 43 - London founded as a seaport by Romans, who named port Londinium.
Roman control ended. Barbar­ians invaded Rome.
Mid-1000's - City of Westminster began to be built as residence for Eng­land's rulers.
1209 - London Bridge completed; first stone bridge across Thames.
1599 - William Shakespeare began to present his plays at Globe Theatre about this time.
1666 - Great Fire of London raged for five days, destroyed thousands of buildings.        
1700's - London Stock Exchange oper­ated in coffee houses until 1773. London's newspaper industry grew up in Fleet Street area coffee houses.
1800’s - Industrial Revolution spread; many factories sprang up in London.
1863 - London's underground passenger railway system started—first in world.
1940, 1941 - London air attacks by Germany took place during World War II.
1960's - Skyscrapers went up in cen­tral London, changing skyline dramatically.

Capital of United Kingdom of Great Britain and North­ern Ireland. Tenth largest city in world—almost 6 1/2 million people. One of world's oldest cit­ies. Each year, millions of tourists visit its many his­toric sights. Outstanding museums, art galleries, theatres.
Chief economic centre of Great Britain. Great world port and centre of trade. Leading industries include manufacture of clothing, food products, furniture, and precision instru­ments, printing and pub­lishing. Bank of England one of several important financial institutions.
Lloyd's of London is a world- famous insurance society that originated in about 1690. The firm's headquarters, a modernistic building designed by architect Richard Rogers, was completed in 1986. Much of the structure is glass, so light streams into the central atrium and tiers of galleries inside.
St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the city's most famous churches. It serves as the centre of the Church of England in Lon­don. The English architect Sir. Christopher Wren built the cathedral between 1675 and 1710.
Buckingham Palace, official royal residence since 1837. Most former pal­aces, including Kensington Palace and the Banqueting House of Whitehall Palace, now museums or showplaces. Crown jewels on display at jewel House of Tower of London.
The Tower Bridge opened in 1894. It used to lift open several times a day to allow ships to pass through, but nowadays openings are rare. The high walkways across the top of the bridge provide a splendid view of the city.
Trafalgar Square is one of London's most famous squares. On the left is the National Gallery, a vast collection of paintings that in­cludes many masterpieces. On the right is St. Martin-in-the-Fields, an elegant church completed in 1726. The Academy of St. Martin-in-the- Fields, an orchestra known interna­tionally, was founded there.
Number 10 Downing Street has been the official home of the prime minister of Britain since 1732. Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745) was the first prime min­ister to live there.
The landmarks of London include the statues of Trafalgar Square, foreground, and the Clock Tower of the Houses of Par­liament, background, from which Big Ben booms out the hours.
St. Paul's Cathedral - towers over London's oldest sec­tion, the City. The City began about A.D. 43 as a Roman trading post on the River Thames. It is now London's financial centre.
Colourful ceremonies take place in London today just as they have for hundreds of years. These troops of the queen's House­hold Cavalry are changing the guard at Horse Guards Parade.
The Thames Flood Barrier was built to prevent flooding in London. When a very high tide is due, the gates are raised to keep water from flowing upstream and engulfing the city.
London, one of the world's largest cities, lies on the River Thames in southeastern England. It is a world centre of trade, fi­nance, government, and the arts. Greater London includes the old City of London at the centre and the 32 London boroughs. Many familiar landmarks of historic interest appear on the large map of central London….
During World War II, German bombs destroyed much of Lon­don. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, inspects the ruins after a raid. The worst raids came in late 1940 and early 1941.
The Tower of London has served as a fortress, a palace, and a prison. Today this na­tional monument is a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can see the Crown Jewels and a museum containing a collec­tion of armour.

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It ranks as one of the world's oldest and most historic cities. London traces its history back nearly 2,000 years.
Each year, millions of tourists visit London to see such historic sights as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London. Buckingham Palace has long been the London home of Britain's monarchs, including the present queen, Elizabeth II. The nation's kings and queens are crowned in Westminster Abbey, one of London's several magnificent churches.
London is a large, lively city as well as a historic one.
It is one of the largest cities in the world. London's banks, insurance companies, and shipping firms do business in almost every country.
London grew up around two old, historic cities—the City of London and the City of Westminster. The City of London started as a trading post of the Roman Empire about A.D. 43. The City of Westminster began as a resi­dence for England's rulers about 1,000 years later. It stood about 3 kilometres southwest of London. A great stone wali surrounded the City of London. But as Lon­don grew, it spread far beyond its wali and took in the royal City of Westminster.
Today, the area where Roman London stood is still known as the City of London. It and the City of Westmin­ster lie at the heart of modern London and make up most of its busy central area. Central London has tall of­fice blocks, busy streets crowded with shoppers, as well as outstanding museums, art galleries, theatres, and beautiful parks. The rest of London extends 19 to 31 kilo­metres in every direction from this central section.
Greater London
The City of London and the communities surrounding it form the area called Greater London or simply Lon­don.
London covers 1,580 square kilometres in southeast England, one of the four countries that form the United Kingdom. The River Thames flows generally eastwards through the heart of London. Away from the low, flat or rolling areas near the river, the land becomes hilly. The Thames empties into the North Sea about 64 kilometres east of London. The river thus links London with ship­ping routes throughout the world. London was once in danger of flooding caused by surge tides, when high tides and storms raise the level of the water in the North Sea. The Thames flood barrier at Woolwich, completed in 1982, now provides protection against such floods.
London is divided into 32 boroughs (local units of government) plus the old City of London, often simply called the City. The City and each borough have their own governments.
Central London covers about 26 square kilometres on both sides of a great north-south bend in the River Thames, it includes the busiest parts of London.
Central London can be divided into three main sec­tions. They are: (1) the City, (2) the West End, and (3) the South Bank. The City and the West End lie on the north side of the Thames. The South Bank lies across the river from these areas.
The City forms London's famous financial district. The City covers about 2.6 square kilometres at the eastern edge of central London. Only about 5,000 people live in the City. But almost half a million office workers crowd its buildings and streets each working day.
The City is the oldest part of London. It stands where the walled City of London stood for hundreds of years. The City consists largely of modern bank and office buildings. But it also has some reminders of its colourful past. The great dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, for example, still stands as a monument of inspiration and power. Parts of the Guildhall date from the 1400's. This building has long served as the City's administrative centre. Man­sion House, the home of the City's lord mayor, dates from the mid-1700's. A 62-metre stone column called the Monument stands near the spot in the City where the Great Fire started in 1666.
The West End is the centre of Britain's government and London's retail trade and night life. It is also Lon­don's most fashionable residential area.
The West End covers about 18 square kilometres just west of the City. Near the River Thames, a street called the Strand links the West End and the City.
Britain's chief government buildings are in the City of Westminster. The Houses of Parliament, perhaps the best known government buildings, tower dramatically along the Thames. From Parliament, the government buildings extend northward along a broad avenue called Whitehall. Number 10 Downing Street, which is the home of Britain's prime minister, is located just off Whitehall. Buckingham Palace lies a short distance to the southwest of the prime minister's home.
London's main shopping and entertainment districts spread out from two huge West End street junctions. One, Trafalgar Square, is an area of open pavement with statues and fountains. Whitehall, the Strand, and streets from the upper West End meet at the square. At the other, Piccadilly Circus, six busy streets come together. Many of London's finest shops are in this area, along Bond, Oxford, and Regent streets. Piccadilly Circus also forms the centre of London's largest entertainment area. The area extends eastward to the Strand and northward into Soho, a district of restaurants and nightclubs.
The South Bank is the site of a large, modern cultural centre with theatres, concert halls, and art galleries.
The South Bank covers about 5 square kilometres along the inside curve of the River Thames. The South Bank section grew more slowly than the City and West End. But the cost of land in the City and West End has forced builders to find cheaper sites across the river.
Outlying areas. Crowded residential neighbour­hoods surround most of central London. Numerous smaii factories are mixed in with the houses in many of these communities, especially in the area known as the East End. The East End includes most of the borough of Tower Hamlets and part of the borough of Hackney.
People
London is so large that many Londoners think of themselves mainly as residents of a particular district, such as Chelsea, Soho, or Hampstead. The various dis­tricts were once separate communities, and many have kept their special character.
Ancestry and religion. According to tradition, the only "real" Londoners are cockneys. A cockney is anyone born within hearing distance of the bells of St. Mary-le- Bow, a historic church in the City. But cockneys are bet­ter known for their accent. (See Cockney).
Most Londoners come from a long line of British- born ancestors. But over the years, London has attracted many new residents from outside the UK. Today, about a million Londoners are immigrants. Many others are the children or grandchildren of immigrants. Areas border­ing the West End have many immigrants from Australia, India, Pakistan, Poland, and the West Indies. London has long had a large Jewish population.
The people of London belong to a variety of religious faiths and Christian denominations. They include mem­bers of the Church of England or other Protestant churches, members of the Roman Catholic Church, and adherents of the Jewish, and Islamic faiths.
Residential areas and housing. Most Londoners live in suburban communities in the outer boroughs. These boroughs, such as Barnet, Croydon, Havering, and Hounslow, lie farthest from central London.
London's oldest and most crowded residential areas lie in the inner boroughs. These boroughs, such as Hammersmith, Islington, Southwark, and Tower Ham­lets, immediately surround the City and West End. Most of London's poor families and immigrants live in rented houses and flats in these boroughs. But some parts of these boroughs have become fashionable.
The chief exceptions to low-class housing in the inner boroughs are in the City of Westminster and the bor­ough of Kensington and Chelsea. Westminster includes most of the West End. Many of London's richest families live in expensive fiats in Westminster, especially in the fashionable Mayfair district This prosperous section ex­tends northwestward to the Hampstead district in the borough of Camden, which has many expensive houses. The City has few homes or flats, except for a large hous­ing development, called the Barbican, built in the 1960's and 1970's.
Education. Most schools are state owned and operated. Each of London's boroughs runs its own schools. London has several public schools, which, despite their name, are private schools. They include Harrow, St. Paul's, and Westminster. London has long been Britain's chief centre for advanced study and research. The University of London is the nation's largest traditional university (see London, University of).
Recreation. During the day, many Londoners enjoy 5 going to colourful street markets, which sell everything | from fresh fruit and vegetables to bargain jewellery and antiques. Popular street markets include Petticoat Lane (Middlesex Street) market, at the eastern edge of the City; Berwick Street market, in Soho; and Portobello Road market, near Kensington Cardens.
London's most popular spectator sport is association football. Several professional teams play in leagues from August to April. Major matches, such as cup finals and internationals, are played at Wembley Stadium, which seats about 80,000 spectators (see Football, Associa­tion). Rugby Union is also popular. The season lasts from September to April. International rugby matches are held at the Twickenham Rugby ground in the bor­ough of Richmond upon Thames. See Rugby football (Rugby Union).
Cricket is played in spring and summer. Lord's cricket ground, just west of Regent's Park, is the headquarters of world cricket. The Oval, in the borough of Lambeth, is another historic cricket ground. See Cricket.
Londoners also enjoy such sports as golf, horse racing, and tennis. The Crystal Palace National Sports Cen­tre, in the borough of Bromley, has facilities for athletics and many other sports. The annual All-England (Wimble­don) Championships, probably the most famous tennis tournament in the world, takes place in late June and early July at Wimbledon Park, in the borough of Merton. London has more than 2,300 licensed betting shops, where people bet on various sports events.
In the evening, many people enjoy a visit to one of the city's many cinemas or theatres. Others meet their friends in their neighbourhood pub (public house). Lon­don also has many private and public clubs.
Social problems. Like most other large cities throughout the world, London has such problems as poverty, homelessness, crime, and drug addiction.
In several of the poorer boroughs, unemployment among young people is widespread. Many young peo­ple turn to shoplifting or more serious crimes. Some also begin to experiment with drugs.
In the 1960's, London's housing authorities moved thousands of poorer families to the new towns outside London. They also replaced much inadequate housing with modern flats. But housing remains a serious prob­lem in the inner boroughs.
Cultural life and places to visit
Arts. London is one of the world's leading cultural centres. It has many theatres, whose productions range from musical comedies to the plays of William Shake­speare. Britain's Royal National Theatre Company per­forms in three theatres on the South Bank. The Barbican Centre in the City' houses the Royal Shakespeare Com­any when it performs in London. This company also stages plays in Stratford-upon-Avon.
London is home to a number of world-famous sym­phony orchestras, including the BBC (British Broadcast­ing Corporation) Symphony, London Philharmonic, Lon­don Symphony, Philharmonia, and Royal Philharmonic. Most major concerts are held in the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, or the Purcell Room, which are part of the South Bank cultural centre, or in the Bar­bican Centre. The Royal Albert Hall, an older concert hall near Kensington Cardens, has a popular series of summer BBC concerts called "the Proms." Britain's na­tional ballet and opera companies perform at the Royal Opera House, at Covent Garden, near the Strand.
London's public art galleries include the National Gal­lery, Trafalgar Square; the Tate Gallery, in Westminster; and the Wallace Collection, housed in a mansion south of Regent's Park. Important visiting art exhibits are held at the Royal Academy of Arts, just west of Piccadilly Cir­cus, and at the Hayward Gallery, a part of the South Bank cultural centre.
Museums and libraries. The British Museum, near the West End, is one of the world's most famous muse­ums. It houses a priceless collection of objects from an­cient civilizations. The library was formerly operated as part of the museum. But in 1973, it became part of the newly formed British Library. See British Library; British Museum.
Other famous museums in London include the Victo­ria and Albert Museum, which has one of the world's largest collections of decorative art; the Natural History
The Thames Flood Barrier was built to prevent flooding in London. When a very high tide is due, the gates are raised to keep water from flowing upstream and engulfing the city.
Museum; and the Science Museum. The Museum of London is in the City of London.
Palaces. Over the centuries, the Royal Family have lived in a number of splendid palaces in London. St. James's Palace, between St. James's Park and Green Park in the West End, was the official royal residence from 1698 to 1837. Buckingham Palace has been the official royal residence since 1837. Other London palaces in­clude Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens and Hampton Court Palace in Kingston upon Thames.
The Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, serve as the meeting place of the United Kingdom's two legisla­tive bodies, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The buildings are officially called the New Palace of Westminster. They were constructed during the mid- 1800s to replace the old palace buildings, which had burned down in 1834. Big Ben, the huge bell in the Clock Tower, has boomed out the hours since 1859.
During World War II, German bombs damaged the House of Commons. It was rebuilt after the war. See Big Ben; Parliament (The United Kingdom Parliament).
The chief survivor of the 1834 fire was Westminster Hail, an assembly hall completed in 1099 and remod­elled during the late 1300's. It stands near the centre of the Houses of Parliament.
Churches. St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey are the most famous churches in London. St. Paul's serves as the centre of the Church of England in London. The great English architect Sir Christopher Wren built the church between 1675 and 1710 to re­place the original St. Paul's, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The church's huge dome towers 111 metres high. Wren also rebuilt more than 50 other churches destroyed or damaged in the Great Fire.
The history of Westminster Abbey reaches back more than 900 years. In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned king there. Since then, almost all the country's monarchs have been crowned in Westminster Abbey. The church has been added to and remodelled over the centuries, but some of its present architecture dates from the 1200's. See Westminster Abbey. Nearby is Westminster Cathedral, England's chief Roman Catholic church, which was completed in 1903.
Squares. Much of London's West End is laid out around a series of squares. The best-known square is Trafalgar Square. The huge Nelson Column towers 52 metres above the square. It consists of a tall granite column topped by a giant stone statue of the British naval hero Horatio Nelson. Other well-known squares include Bedford, Berkeley, Grosvenor, and Russell squares.
Parks. London's largest parks are the royal parks. These parks once formed part of royal estates but are now set aside for public use. Central London has five royal parks: St. James's Park, Green Park, Hyde Park, Ken­sington Gardens, and Regent's Park. Hyde Park is famous for its Speakers' Corner, just south of Marble Arch.
More than 80 other public parks lie in or near central London. Battersea Park, in the borough of Wandsworth, offers a variety of attractions, including a popular amusement park. Kew Gardens, also called the Royal Bo­tanic Gardens, contain one of the world's largest collec­tions of tree and shrub species and hothouse plants.
Other places of interest. The Tower of London, which borders the City in the borough of Tower Ham­lets, is London's oldest landmark. It consists of a group of structures built around a central tower, called the White Tower, and surrounded by two stone walls. The White Tower dates from the late 1000's. See Tower of London.
The Inns of Court are Britain's centre for the study and practice of law. They consist of four groups of buildings and courtyards west of the City. See Inns of Court.
Some places of interest lie outside central London, for example, the borough of Greenwich has a famous group of buildings designed by Wren for the Green­wich Hospital in the late 1600's. They now house the Royal Naval College.
Ceremonies. Guards, usually red-coated sentries of the Guards Division, stand watch at Buckingham Palace. Each morning, the famous changing-of-the-guard cere­mony takes place in the palace's front courtyard. The royal Household Cavalry also holds a daily changing of the guard at Horse Guards Parade, a parade ground next to the Horse Guards building in Whitehall. Another cer­emony takes place at the Tower of London, which is guarded by colourfully outfitted yeomen warders, or beefeaters. Each night at 10 o'clock, the chief warder locks the tower gates and presents the keys to the tower's governor. This custom is nearly 700 years old.
Two of London's most spectacular ceremonies are Trooping the Colour and the Lord Mayor's Show. Troop­ing the Colour forms part of the queen's official birthday celebration each June. Riding in a horse-drawn carriage, the queen leads the Guards Division and Household Cavalry past cheering crowds along the Mall to Horse Guards Parade. There, the queen inspects the troops, and the colour (ceremonial flag) is carried in review.
The Lord Mayor's Show takes place in the City on the second Saturday in November to celebrate the election of a new lord mayor. The new mayor, dressed in tradi­tional robes and riding in a horse-drawn coach, leads a parade through the streets of the City.
Economy
London is Britain's chief economic centre. Its busi­nesses employ a fifth of Britain's workers.
Manufacturing. The leading industries include print­ing and publishing, and the manufacture of clothing, food products, furniture and precision instruments. The oldest industrial areas lie just north and east of the City. Another industrial area extends eastwards from Green­wich along the Thames. The newest industrial areas are situated in the western boroughs.
Trade. London has long been a great world port and trading centre. The Port of London Authority controls two huge docks and 69 kilometres of wharves along the Thames. In the past, the chief docks and wharves were just east of London Bridge and Tower Bridge. These fa­cilities still handle some shipping. But the growth of container shipping during the 1960's required new facili­ties to handle container ships. These ships are designed to carry cargo packed in huge boxlike containers. The new container facilities were built at Tilbury, near the mouth of the Thames.
Finance and business. Banking, insurance, and fi­nance are important industries in the City. Great finan­cial institutions in the City include the Bank of England; the London Stock Exchange; and Lloyd's, the famous worldwide insurance company.
Transportation. Motorways and major roads, and underground and surface railways carry more than 1 million commuters between the outlying areas and cen­tral London each workday. Some travel by bus and oth­ers use their cars. The London underground railway sys­tem, which Londoners call the tube, is one of the largest in the world.
Heathrow Airport in western London is one of the world's busiest airports. It handles about 35 million pas­sengers yearly. Gatwick Airport, another airport used by Londoners, lies about 45 kilometres south of Greater London. It handles about 19 million passengers yearly. Stansted Airport, in Essex, about 48 kilometres north of London, was upgraded in 1991 with a new terminal.
Communications. London is Britain's chief commu­nications centre. The country's 12 national morning newspapers and 11 national Sunday papers are based in London. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the public national radio and television service, has its main offices and studios in London. Many independent broadcasting organizations are also based there.
Tourism. Millions of tourists from other parts of Brit­ain and from overseas visit London each year.
Government
From 1965 to 1986, the government of the Greater London area consisted of the governments of the 32 boroughs, the City government, and the Greater London Council. The Greater London Council was a governing body that had authority over the governments of the boroughs and the City. It also had charge of such activi­ties as overall city planning, road construction, traffic flow management, and fire-fighting services.
The Greater London Council was abolished by an act of Parliament that went into effect in 1986. Today, the Greater London area is governed chiefly by the govern­ments of the 32 boroughs and the City of London.
Borough governments. Each London borough has its own government, in the form of an elected council. Borough residents elect new councils every four years.
The borough councils are responsible for local health and welfare services, public libraries, and some public housing. Each borough also maintains state-run schools in its area. The boroughs of London receive most of their income from a community charge (poll tax), rents, and grants from the national government.
The government of the City of London is organ­ized much as it was hundreds of years ago, when many thousands of people lived inside the City's walls. Today, the City has only about 4,400 residents, far fewer than even the smallest borough. But the City has such an im­portant place in British history that it has equal standing with the boroughs.
An organization called the Corporation of the City of London governs the City. It acts through the Court of Common Council. The Court of Common Council con­sists of the lord mayor, 24 aldermen, and 136 common councilmen. The lord mayor is the City's chief adminis­trator. Voters elect the aldermen to life terms and the councilmen to one-year terms. Each year, the aldermen and guild representatives elect the lord mayor.
Other public agencies. The London Regional Trans­port Authority provides several public transportation services. Its members are appointed by the British gov­ernment. The national government also appoints the members of the Port of London Authority, which con­trols shipping activities.
Another government agency is the Metropolitan Po­lice Force. It provides police protection for all of Greater London except the City, and has its headquarters at New Scotland Yard. The City has its own police force.
London began about A.D. 43, when armies of the Roman Empire started to conquer Britain. The Romans built a seaport on the Thames near present-day London Bridge. They probably chose this site because the river- banks east of this point were too marshy for settlement. The Romans called the port Londinium. The name Lon­don comes from this word.
By the early 200's, the Romans had built a wall around London, possibly to protect it from raiders. This wall, and the ones that later replaced it, formed London's boundaries for hundreds of years.
In 410, barbarian invaders attacked Rome. The Roman troops in Britain were called home to fight the invaders. This date thus marks the end of Roman control over Brit­ain. Little of Roman London remains, except for parts of the original wall and the ruins of a few buildings.
The Middle Ages. London grew little from the 400's to the 1000's. But in the mid-1000's, the Saxon king Ed­ward the Confessor built a palace and rebuilt a church about 3 kilometres southwest of London. Before then, Saxon kings had lived mainly at Winchester, in south- central England. Edward's buildings became the start of the City of Westminster. The Palace of Westminster served as a chief residence of England's rulers until the 1520's. The church became Westminster Abbey. In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned king in Westminster Abbey. William granted Londoners self- government. During William's reign, many cathedrals and castles were built. He also began construction of the Tower of London.
Other London landmarks also appeared during the Middle Ages. About 1100, work began on Old St. Paul s Cathedral to replace a church destroyed by fire. Builders finished it about 200 years later. In 120S, London Bridge became the first stone bridge across the Thames.
London's craft and trade guilds began to develop in
the 1100's. Each guild represented certain craftworkers or tradespeople, such as bakers, carpenters, goldsmiths, and grocers. The guilds were also called livery compa­nies because each had its own livery— that is, official robes that the guild members wore on special occa­sions.
Guild members elected London's first mayor in the 1190's. In 1215, King John confirmed London's right to govern itself. By the late 1400's, London had about 50,000 people. Its mayor had become so important that he was now called the lord mayor.
Expansion beyond the walls. London grew rapidly during the 1500's and the first half of the 1600's. Nobles built estates to the west, just outside London's walls.
King Henry VIII owned at least six palaces in the London area, including the Palace of Westminster. In 1547, the year Henry died, the Palace of Westminster became the meeting place of Parliament.
London developed into an important world trading centre under Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558 to 1603. England's first public theatres opened in Lon­don's suburbs during Queen Elizabeth's reign. One of the most popular theatres was the Globe, in Southwark. William Shakespeare began to present his plays at the Globe about 1599. See Shakespeare, William.
By the mid-1600's, London had about half a million people. Most Londoners now lived outside the walls in such districts as Clerkenwell, St. Giles, and Whitechapel, which were rapidly becoming slums. The area inside the walls gradually came to be known as the City.
War, plague, and fire struck London in the mid- 1600's. A struggle for power between King Charles I and Parliament resulted in civil war in 1642. London sided with Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell and other Puri­tans. London grew less prosperous under the Puritans, who made themselves unpopular by closing the thea­tres.
The Great Plague—a terrible epidemic of bubonic plague— broke out in London in 1665. Before the epi­demic died down in 1666, it had taken about 100,000 lives. On Sept. 2,1666, the Great Fire of London broke out in a baker's shop on Pudding Lane in the City. It was finally brought under control five days later. Most of the City, built largely of wood, lay in ashes. The losses in­cluded St. Paul's Cathedral and about 13,000 houses. But the fire caused no known deaths.
Rebuilding the City. Londoners rebuilt the City with brick and stone instead of timber. The great architect of the new City was Sir Christopher Wren, who rebuilt many structures lost in the fire, including St. Paul's Ca­thedral. But few people returned to live in the City.
London's businesses soon recovered from losses suf­fered in the Great Fire. A new Royal Exchange opened about 1675. But the favourite places for doing business were the many coffee houses that sprang up in and near the City. Lloyd's insurance company started in the coffee house of Edward Lloyd in the 1680's. The London Stock Exchange began in the 1700's in a coffee house called Jonathan's.
The world's largest city. By 1800, London had about a million people, more than any other city in the world. During the Industrial Revolution in the 1800's, London developed markets for factory-produced goods. The City's merchants and bankers made enormous fortune. But many workers were desperately poor. They lived in crowded, disease-ridden slums.
The growth of the suburbs. During the 1800's,  more and more Londoners moved to the outlying areas.
This rapid suburban growth became possible largely because of improved  transportation.
The first major reform of London's government took place in 1888. The County of London was formed that year, and the London County Council was organized as
its chief governing body. The county covered an area about a fifth the size of present-day Greater London.
Destruction from the air. In the summer of 1940, Germany began an all-out air attack on Britain. London became the chief target of the attack. The Blitz, as the at­tack was known, lasted from September 1940 to May 1941. Night after night, German planes dropped bombs on the built-up area.
Postwar developments. City planners had drawn up a new plan for London during the war. It called for a wide band of open country, a Green Belt, around Lon­don and for new towns to be built outside the belt. The plan also called for the rebuilding of heavily bombed areas and the development of the South Bank. In the 1960's, skyscrapers began to appear in central London, changing the skyline dramatically.
As London built upward, it also continued to spread outward. The London Government Act, passed by Parlia­ment in 1963, replaced the County of London with Greater London. It also divided Greater London into 32 boroughs and created the Greater London Council (GLC). By the 1980's, many people believed that the GLC was too large and unwieldy a body to govern London efficiently. For this and other reasons, the GLC was abol­ished in 1986 by Act of Parliament, and responsibility for London's local government passed to the 32 boroughs.
London was long noted for its smogs, caused mainly by smoke from houses and industries. A terrible smog in 1952 killed about 4,000 Londoners. Parliament passed a Clean Air Act in 1956, which limited the use of smoke- producing fuels in London. By the 1970's, London was noted for its clean air.
Motor traffic remains one of London's worst prob­lems. The government has proposed building more mo­torways in central London. But many people oppose the plan because it requires moving hundreds of families
Related articles:

Outline
Greater London
Central London
Outlying areas
People
Ancestry and religion
Residential areas and housing
Education
Recreation
Social problems
Cultural life and places to visit
Arts
Museums and libraries
Palaces
The House of Parliament
Churches
Squares
Parks
Other places of interest
Ceremonies
Economy
Manufacturing
Trade
Finance and business
Transportation
Communications
Tourism
Government
Borough governments
The government of the City of London
Other public agencies
History


London Bridge is one of 15 bridges in London that span the River Thames. Construction of the bridge began in 1967 and was completed in 1973. For location, see London (map).
The bridge replaced the famous London Bridge that was built between 1823 and 1831. Workers began dis­mantling the older bridge in 1967 because it was settling into the river and cracks were developing. The bridge was reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, U.S.A.
The London Bridge of the 1800's replaced a stone bridge that was completed in 1209, about 30 metres downstream. The stone bridge stood on the site of an earlier wooden bridge. Houses lined both sides of the stone bridge, and the heads of executed traitors some­times hung over the entrance. It was the only bridge over the Thames until 1750. Repairs kept the bridge in use until it was torn down about 1832. (Old London Bridge was the only bridge across the River Thames between 1209 and 1750.)
London Company was an association of "noblemen, gentlemen, and merchants" during the early days of the American colonies. It was part of a larger association, the Virginia Company. In 1606, King james I of England chartered the London Gompany to form a colony in North America. It founded the Jamestown colony in 1607.
The founders of the London Company believed that precious metals existed in the Americas. Those who went to America and risked their lives were called plant­ers. Those who stayed in England and invested their money in the company were called adventurers. Each planter and adventurer was to share in the company's profits. But the company failed to profit. The company reorganized under new charters in 1609, and again in 1612. But still there were no profits.
The House of Burgesses was formed in Jamestown in 1619. It was the first representative legislative body in the American colonies. The House passed measures de­signed to help the company prosper. But a serious In­dian uprising in Jamestown in 1622 caused the adventur­ers to lose what little interest they had left.
In 1623, King James decided that the company was being managed pooriy. He took over the association in 1624 and dissolved the company.
London Gazette publishes routine notices from cen­tral and local government in Britain, and British legal no­tices. It is published four times a week—on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday—by Her Majesty's Sta­tionery Office. The London Gazette was formerly known as the Oxford Gazette. It was founded in 1665 at Oxford, where Charles II and his court had taken refuge from the Great Plague. Its name was changed to the London Gazette after the court returned to London late in 1665. Londonderry is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county ceased to be an administrative area when local government was reorganized in 1973. But iocal people continue to regard the county as important
for historical reasons. Londonderry is known through­out the world because of the song "The Londonderry Air," which is also popularly known as "Danny Boy."
The name of the city and county has long been a source of disagreement between the two religious com­munities in Northern Ireland. The original name Derry comes from the Irish word doire, which means an oak wood. In 1984, the nationalist-controlled council re­named the district which includes the city Derry. Ulster loyalists insist that its name should be Londonderry. The county has always had the official name Londonderry. In ordinary speech, however, both communities use the name Derry.
According to the 1971 census, the county had a popu­lation of 183,094. The government no longer collects fig­ures for the population living within the old boundaries.
The administrative district, now known as Derry, was formed in 1973. It takes in most of the old city of Lon­donderry, which was a county borough until the 1973 reorganization. The rest of the old county was divided among the administrative districts of Limavady and Magherafelt. Parts of the county were absorbed into the Cookstown and Coleraine districts.
The old county of Londonderry covers 21,182 square kilometres. Most of it lies between the River Foyle and the River Bann. But most of Derry district is on the west bank of the Foyle. The town of Coleraine is on the east bank of the Bann. The county forms a rough triangle.
The Bann is its eastern side, the Atlantic Ocean and Lough Foyle are on the north, and the Sperrin Moun­tains are on the southwest.
The mouth of the wide Lough Foyle is almost closed by a long spit of land ending in Magilligan Point. A mag­nificent beach stretches back from there to the village of Downhill, overlooked by picturesque cliffs. The Sperrin Mountains rise in the south of County Londonderry.
Economy. Londonderry is a county of small farms. Most farmers rear cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry.
About 1 person in 10 works in agriculture. The chief crops are oats, potatoes, and grass seed. Flax was for­merly grown for the extensive linen industry, but its cul­tivation has now declined. County Londonderry was once famous for its shirt- making and linen industries. Clothing and textile pro­duction are still important. But its economy now de­pends largely on service industries, including shop and office work, and catering. Light engineering and chemi­cal production are also important.
Chief towns. Londonderry is Northern Ireland's sec­ond city. It is linked to the capital, Belfast, by rail and an excellent road system, including part of the M2 motor­way and dual carriageway roads. Londonderry is also an important manufacturing centre and port. Its heart is the old walled city of Derry,beside the river. But it now has extensive suburbs on both banks of the Foyle. The cen­tral square, called the Diamond, is at the intersection of the streets leading to the four main gates in the ancient walls, which are still standing. St. Columba's cathedral, the Protestant (Church of Ireland) cathedral, was built in 1633. St. Eugene's Roman Catholic cathedral is a Gothic- style, Victorian building, dating from 1873.
Coleraine, on the other side of the county, is a thriv­ing business and market centre with port facilities on the Bann. The main campus of the University of Ulster is situated just outside the town.
Other market towns are Kilrea, Limavady, Garvagh, Dungiven, Maghera, and Magherafelt. Portstewart is a picturesque seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, to the northwest of Coleraine.
History. Londonderry has had a more eventful his­tory than any of the other Ulster counties. The county is rich in evidence of prehistoric settlement. Special fea­tures include large, ancient, burial chambers and circu­lar, stone raths, which are enclosures used as dwellings or forts, in 546, St. Columba founded a monastery at Derry, from which he set out to establish the Christian community on Iona. The area suffered little from the Vi­king and Norman invasions of Ireland. But in 1609 the land around the mouth of the Bann, then called Cole­raine, was granted by King James I to the corporation of London. A society called The Honourable the Irish soci­ety was responsible for organizing the grant. Parts of the county were assigned to 12 of the leading livery compa­nies of London, each of which was to found a town. The settlement was only partly successful, and many of the original, Irish tenants remained on the land.
The London companies rebuilt the Irish town of Derry
as a walled city, and renamed it Londonderry. In 1688, when the Catholic King James II fled to Ireland, leaving his English throne to William III, Londonderry became a city of refuge for thousands of Protestants. In December 1688, while the city fathers hesitated, 13 boy apprentices shut the gates in the face of James's troops. A siege began soon after. It lasted until July 1689, when a Derry ship broke the boom across the Foyle and the city was relieved. Many relics of the siege can still be seen in St. Columba's cathedral.
The annual celebration of the siege by Protestants has been resented by the Catholic population over the years, and political control of the city has been a matter of bitter dispute. The city was the setting for fierce riots in 1968. The riots developed into a long period of vio­lence, which led to the posting of United Kingdom troops to Northern Ireland in 1969 and the abolition of Northern Ireland's parliament and government in 1972. During this long period of conflict, areas such as the Roman Catholic housing estate of the Bogside have ap­peared in many news reports. The city has undergone considerable modernization, with the building of new houses, sports complexes, and an art gallery. See also History of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Londonderry is an area of Northern Ireland administered as a county until local government was reorganized in 1973.
The Guildhall on the banks of the Foyle is part of the his­toric centre of the city of Lon­donderry. The old walled part of Derry dates back to the 1600’s. Modern suburbs have been built on the other side of the river.

Beyond London
If you've been to Britain's capital and done all the 'must do' stuff, here are some off-the-beaten track options for the rest of England.
The writer didn't get to watch the changing of the guard at the Buckingham Palace when she visited Britain. — Wikimedia Commons
Sir Anthony Corley’s towering steel sculpture, Angel of the North just outside Newcastle – Wikimedia Commons
The Cavern Club on Matthew Street in Liverpool, London. — Wikimedia Commons
Hadrian's Wall, Britain's most important monument to the era of Roman occupation. — ADAM CUERDEN/Wikimedia Commons
The John Rylands Library in Manchester – Wikimedia Commons.
By JILL SCHENSUL
The Star/Saturday, 17 September 2016

I JUST spent 10 days in England, and before you ask, no, I didn’t get a glimpse of the Queen or Buckingham Palace.
I did, however, get to meet the shepherdess Katy Cropper, who’s achieved a kind of royal status since she became the first woman to win the “One Man and His Dog” sheepdog competition in 1990.1 spent hours on her beautiful little farm, and her entourage of border collies, “practice sheep” and sheep farmer/dog owners were a lot more fun than those stone-faced members of the Queen’s Guard.
I didn’t visit St Paul’s Cathedral or the British Library. Or so much as take a picture of the Tower of London, mainly because I didn’t set so much as a foot in the city.
I’ve been to London, done that “must” stuff (well, I haven’t see the Queen). You’ll never hear me say London-schmundon. It’s the most-visited destination in Britain for a reason: It’s a trove of attrac­tions and history and style.
London is well-mapped and tour­ist-friendly.
It’s an entirely different Britain outside London.
From Day One of my 10-day road trip out of file Manchester airport, I discovered attractions, towns, scenery, accommodations, food and amazing claims to fame. Especially cool because they were often so unsung, un-hyped, tucked away.
What appeared, for example, to be a Gothic cathedral in downtown Mamchester, right across from a 6m inflated baby chick (Easter), turned out to be the John Rylands Library, built by his wife in his honour, with its collection of treasures rivalling that of Trinity College. Or take the Liverpool Cathedral - one of two in the city - which is even bigger than London’s St Paul’s. St Paul’s architect, Christopher Wren, is better known. But Giles Gilbert Scott, who was only 22 when he got the Liverpool job in 1902, later designed those bright-red British phone booths.
I found great vegetarian food at traditional pubs and at a new breed of small, eat-local restau­rants in the middle of nowhere, which attract foodies even on weeknights. I also discovered that York is not only famous for its cathedral and Roman and Viking ruins, but also as the birthplace of the Kit Kat bar.
I also found a world-class obser­vatory in the middle of a forest in England’s least-visited region, Northumberland, which is also home to one of the small chain of International Dark Sky Parks. Northumberland has the largest exspense of dark night sky in all Europe, and the park’s small staff holds programs almost nightly to gaze through telescopes at galaxies and stars light years away.
The variety of sites and experi­ences is remarkable - this is not the land of wide open spaces. You can get from Manchester to the northern border and into Scotland,^ for instance, in less than four hours. Stop along the A1 highway, just outside of Newcastle, to take some selfies beneath the 54m wide wingspan of Sir Antony Gorky’s towering steel sculpture, Angel of the North. Everyone else does.
The 20.1m, super-sized figure was at first controversial but soon got so much publicity it became a landmark for northeastern England - a trigger for its current artsy renaissance, some say. It has also been earmarked by the Icons of England programme.
Continue on the A1 for less than an hour, and you’ll be at another icon and man-made mega-struc­ture, Hadrian’s Wall. Britain’s most important monument to the era of Roman occupation, the wall was built in 122 CE by the eponymous Roman emperor and spans the 117.5km breadth of Northern England.
Ten days weren’t nearly enough to explore the region, yet they were time enough to come back with a long list of visit-worthy places that I want to pass along. They’ll be the subjects of articles in future travel sections. But for now, I’ve gathered up a few of the most memorable images from that trip - not a beef­eater or a bobby in even one.
Leaders of the flock
You could call her the queen of shepherdesses. Or the border-collie whisperer. Katy Cropper was the first woman to win the Britain’s “One Man and His Dog” shepherd-dog competition nearly two decades ago. When you see her work with the dogs On her farm in Shap, it’s obvious they understand one another. Whether she’s using a whistle or a vocal command, the dogs follow her instructions as they gather, redirect, divide up or other­wise manage a flock of sheep. She forms a bond with her four-footed students, and they obey her commands because they want to please her. Sheep farmers come from all over the country to have Cropper train their herding dogs.
The many sides of York
This helpful tree of directional signs is strategically located outside the York Minister cathedral, reminding visitors that there’s more to this city - founded by the Romans in 71 CE - than just anoth­er pretty cathedral, even if it is the Northern Europe. A Viking village, the largest railroad museum in the world and The Shambles, thought to be the oldest shopping street in Europe and mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. Recently opened is an attraction that covers yet another part of the city’s histo­ry: York’s Chocolate Story. No, it’s not yet another M8cM’s store; York was home, after World War II, to both Rowntree’s and Terry’s, which gave the world the Kit Kat bar and the Chocolate Orange, respectively. These well-known chocolatiers grew up here and had factories that were major employers in the area until they were swallowed up by bigger players - Rowntree’s by Nestle, Terry’s by Kraft.
Liverpool Life
Liverpool is one of several English cities making a big come­back, thanks largely to redevelop­ment of its historic waterfront. The Beatles would undoubtedly be amazed by the changes, and Paul McCartney has helped invest in the future of his old hometown.
Traces of Rome's Legacy
One of the few places you can get a glimpse of Hadrian’s Wall, the most important monument of the '300-year Roman occupation of England, is at Sycamore Gap, west of Housesteads Roman Fort in Hexham, There you can see the highest remains of the wall as well as the solitary tree immortalized in the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. A Unesco World Heritage Site, where visitors can learn about the history at various sites along its length.
The sculpture by Antony Gormley dominates the landscape
from its site on a hilltop overlook­ing the A1 highway in Gateshead. Part of the city’s blossoming Public Arts Program, it was hotly protest­ed when unveiled in 1998 but then quickly gained headlines through­out the art world. Set on the site of an old mining operation, the Angel is seen by more than one person every second, 90,000 every day or 33 million every year. Gormley wanted it to connect with the past, while helping to define the future.
Sharrow Bay has become some­thing of an English lakes legend since it opened in 1949. Book a room or a meal at the Sharrow Bay Hotel in Penrith, and you might feel like you’ve dropped into a Merchant-Ivory period film. The elegant 17-room inn at the edge of Ullswater Lake is said to be the world’s first country-house hotel, a place you could never afford to own but can think of as your own for at least a little while. The own­ers, Francis Coulson and Brian Sack, filled the place with antiques, beautiful fabrics and tapestries, comfy chairs, great food (including the famous sticky toffee dessert), and the inn now has a reputation as one of the top accommodations in the region. Be aware that there’s a dress code: no jeans or sneakers at any time. For all this refinement, service and exclusivity, however, rates are fairly reasonable. You might be able to grab a standard room on a weekday in summer for under US$200 (RM810) a night. Rates can go up to US$600 (RM2,427) for the top suites per night on high-season fall weekends.
If you were among the millions who fell in love with the Yorkshire Dales through the stories of James
Herriot, country veterinarian, wel­come to James Herriot’s World, lit­erally. Part house museum, part memorabilia collection, the attrac­tion in Thirsk opened in 1999 in the very buildings where Herriot lived and took care of his patients. Herriot - real name James Alfred Wight - died in 1995. On display you’ll find the original manuscript (often rejected) of the first book in the All Creatures Great and Small series, photos of the gang - Herriot’s partners Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, plus - and a bronze statue recently installed in the courtyard of the home. Although the vet is identified (real name, too), the dog in his arms isn’t named, which seems a little out of character.
Pub food at the Drunken Duck in Ambleside nowadays includes several options for vegetarians - as well as a three-beer tasting option -just in case you can’t decide on one. (Info: drunken- duckinn.com)
William Wordsworth first saw Dove Cottage while on a walking tour of the Lake District with Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1799.
He fell in love with the place as well as the scenery, and by chance the building, formerly a pub called the Dove and the Olive Branch, was available for rent. He bought the place in Grasmere and moved in, along with his sister Dorothy; he was married in 1802, and the cou­ple had three of their five children there. The place was visited by many friends and poets at the time. You can visit both the cottage and the Wordsworth Museum on the grounds. - The Record/Tribune News Service.

Going Solo
Travelling all on your own couldn't be easier in this culturally vibrant, diverse city.
In Hyde Park, bicycles ride a path adjacent to horse trails.
The gardens at Kensinton Palace are open to visitors.
At Kensington Palace, the staterooms reflect the reign of Queen Victoria.
The Palm Courtt of the Ritz London is the opulent setting for afternoon tea.
Walkers and dogs are fixtures on the Cotsworld Way.
The Notting Hill tour of London Walks ends at the Portobello Market, where you can pick up almost any kind of food.
No reservations are needed for London Walks, which offers guided tours of neighbourhoods such as Notting Hill.
By Linda Bergstorm

THINK about it. London, on your own. And you can do whatever you want to do. Fantastic!
And, yet: Wouldn’t it just be easier to book a tour?
Save that stiff single supplement. Being a solo traveller without a pre-planned itiner­ary - save for hotel reservations - can be a pretty great thing in London. The culturally vibrant, diverse city has lots to offer beyond its many museums and fun shopping. Here’s how to put the power of one into action:
Get your learn on
London Walks offers tours of many local favourites, from Harry Potter lore to the British Museum. One of the best features is that you don’t need reservations - just show up at the scheduled time and pay £10 (RM60). The Saturday morning tour of Notting Hill and Portobello Market balanced the old and the new. Our informative guide took the group of 20 tourists along the back roads of the now trendy Notting Hill neigh­bourhood, pointing out features such as the kilns once used to bake bricks, the former paths of Roman horse races, and the homes of the famous (yes, Annie Lennox lived there).
There might have been one or two fans of the Hugh Grant movie who were thrilled to see key film locations (The bookstore! The church!). The two-hour tour ended at the packed Portobello Market, which is not named after a mushroom after all but has Roman roots. Everyone can find something in this hodgepodge of local food and trinkets and interesting antiques, www.walks.com.
Brush up on Shakespeare
One of the tips gleaned from a local was a real gem: cheap shows at the Globe the thea­tre rebuilt by the late American actor Sam Wanamaker to recreate Shakespeare’s origi­nal theatre along the Thames. You can catch a play, performed outside in the round and with audience members standing, for only £5 (RM30) in the warmer months.
But don’t pass up the sometimes quirky offerings in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Although it is a new theatre, the playhouse is lit by candlelight, and patrons sit (or stand) like the Bard’s fans did long ago. A song cycle reportedly from a list of Anne Boleyn offered an entertaining glimpse into the British fascination with all things royal. The songs were captivating, and the setting was truly magical, www.shakespearesglobe. com
See Hyde Park by bike
One of the best ways to experience the 142ha Hyde Park is through the bike share system. You can rent a comfortable bike at £2 (RM12) for up to 30mins at a time, and pedal along the many paths. The rental lasts all day, and there are lots of docking sta­tions, so you can take things slow. You are likely to ride past horse riders on the adja­cent track on your way to the picturesque Serpentine lake.
At the south end is Kensington Gardens. Take a peek into the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground before heading off to Kensington Palace.
A tour of the public part of the palace (it also the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka William and Kate) reveals much about Queen Victoria and her love for her hus­band, Prince Albert. You can take in the beautiful grounds or head over to the Orangery for its celebrated tea. www.roya parks.org.uk
Tea at the Ritz
You need to book ahead (and early) to secure a seat for afternoon tea in the Pali Court of the Ritz London. This iconic afte noon tea is worth the £61 (RM366). The c lent room is very, very pink, but someho works. It’s the kind of place where you v to wear your best - and, in fact, jackets e required for men.
The tea service starts with savouries, including an exquisite egg salad. Even a table of one gets the full complement of sweets, from fruit tart to macaroons. Then come the scones and clotted cream and slice of speciality dessert.
The Ritz works to make the single dinner feel welcome, offering magazines and newspapers. During my visit, the reading materi­als remained untouched as I was too busy sampling the wonderful food and drinking in the scene, www.theritzlondon.com/palm- court
Experience the countryside
Some of the most beautiful English coun­tryside is a short train ride away. The Cotswolds has many iconic postcard villages, which are easily accessible via the bus sys­tem. Plus, it is home to the Cotswold Way, more than 161km of walking trails. A hike up the hill in Broadway travelled through sheep fields on the way to the Broadway Tower.
The views were spectacular, and it was just fun to unlock the gates and join the locals (and their dogs) on an afternoon stroll, www. nationaltrail.co.uk/cotswold-way
The logistics of solo in London
Solo travellers are becoming a travel force. According to the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015 prepared by Millward Brown, 24% of travellers took an overseas vacation alone in 2015, up from 15% in 2013. And many were women.
There are certainly safety considerations: Share your itinerary and use caution in pub­lic places.
Other tips:
Get your bearings early by booking a guid­ed bus tour: It is the easiest way to note where you would like to return, and it will most likely take you to areas you may not be able to get back to. The hop-on, hop-off tour I did also included a fun boat tour on the Thames from Tower of London to Westminster. VisitLondon.com is a good place to explore the options.
Get a cellphone that has map and phone access: You will want to be able-to use your phone to see where you are, look up informa­tion on the fly, and make calls. (And your mother will still worry about you and want you to check in.) Cellular providers offer international plans, but the data plans are wickedly expensive. Buy a cheap unlocked phone at home, and get a Sim card right near the baggage claim at Heathrow.
London’s Underground is safe and effi­cient, and there’s an entrance seemingly around every comer. If you want to get out of the city, sltip the car and opt for the excel­lent train system. Booking on a service like Tramline (www.thetramline.com) will save you some cash.
Dining for one? One London resident warned that it would be tough to get a table for one at a nice restaurant in London. “They want to serve two people, not one,” he warned. He was right. They can’t refuse you, but they can ignore you to the point of dis­comfort.
One word: Pubs. The Scarsdale Tavern in Kensington is picturesque and welcoming and had a great lamb shank for £16 (RM96). The Churchill Arms not only has memorabil­ia from the noted prime minister but also serves cheap, tasty Thai food. Another great dining option is Harrods.
The food emporium is famous for its fan­tastic selection, from homemade meat pies to caviar, and there are several themed mini-restaurants. It also has an impressive takeaway selection. - Chicago Tribune/ Tribune News Service

London’s Heathrow Airport
London's Heathrow airport has launched many new facilities for travellers. — AFP
Less Stress
Entry point
HEATHROW Airport has declared itself the world's first demen- tia-friendly airport after launch­ing a program that will train air­port staff on how to help travelers suffering from cognitive decline. Air travel can be a stressful expe­rience for even the seasoned fre­quent flier. But add to that anxiety the complexities of dementia, and travelling can become an exercise in fear and frustration, says the Alzheimer's Society in Britain.
To put them at ease, all 76,000 staff members working at Heathrow Airport will be trained on how to support these fliers - most notably security staff. Passing through security has been identified as a particularly stress­ful part of the airport experience. Security staff will be trained on how to identify potential fliers with dementia and reduce anxiety during this step of the process.
Likewise, frontline staff who work regularly with passengers with "hidden disabilities" such as autism, hearing and visual impairments and dementia, will undergo in-depth training, while designated quiet lounges will help affected passengers find calm.
The program is also part of the Prime Minister's 2020 Challenge on Dementia, which encourages businesses to become "dementia-friendly".
Dementia is a worldwide con­cern, with the planet's aging population projected to bring the number of people living with the con­dition from 47 million today up to 135 million by 2050.
This is a unique and innovative program that falls in line with a bigger airport trend health and wellness.
One of the popular programs being copied at airports around the world is the introduction of Yoga classes, to help harried trav­ellers decompress and relax before boarding their flight.
Yoga classes are offered at air­ports in San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare, Helsinki and Heathrow – AFP Relaxnews.

Flying High
Garuda Indonesia’s  - A350 XWB in the skies (AFP)
ASIAN airlines dominate a new ranking of "the most loved airlines" with Garuda Indonesia receiving the highest customer satisfaction score.
In the list compiled by interna­tional air transport rating organi­zation Skytrax, the Indonesian car­rier received an approval rating of 85% by fliers, followed by Asian Airlines and Eva Air.
In fact, 11 of the top 15 spots are occupied by Asian airlines. The highest non-Asian carrier is Greece's Aegean Airlines, which placed fourth on the list. The only North American carrier represent­ed is Virgin America, which squeaked into 15th place.
For the ranking, analysts looked at how customers rated their over­all flight experience, which was measured on a scale of one to 10. Customers were asked to consider everything from seat comfort, onboard services, food and bever­ages, in-flight entertainment and
Another notable mover this year is low-cost carrier Ryanair, which scored higher than the British flag­ship carrier British Airways by 6% (62% versus 56%).
The highest-ranked major US carrier is Delta Airlines, followed by United and American Airlines.
Here are the top 15 "most loved" airlines according to customer reviews from Skytrax.

Garuda Indonesia
Asiana Airlines
Eva Air
Aegean Airlines
Korean Air
Bangkok Airways
Singapore Airlines
AirAsia X
ANA All Nippon Airways
Royal Brunei Airlines
Japan Airlines
Qatar Airways
China Southern Airlines
Oman Air

Virgin America

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