LONDON

Modern London is not one city that has steadily become larger through the centuries; it is a number of cities, towns, and villages that have, during the past centuries, grown together to make one vast urban area.
London is situated upon both banks of the River Thames, it is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Its population is about 7 million people.
London dominates the life of Britain. It is the chief port of the country and the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is a wide range of light industry in Greater London.
London consists of three parts: the City of London, the West End and the East End.
The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometres in the heart of London. About half a million people work in the City but less than 6,000 live here. It is the financial centre of the UK with many banks, offices and Stock Exchange. But the City is also a market for goods of almost every kind, from all parts of the world.
The West End can be called the centre of London. Here are the historical palaces as well as the famous parks. Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner is also here. Among other parks are Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park. In the West End there is Buckingham Palace, which is the Queen’s residence, and the Palace of Westminster which is the seat of Parliament.
The best-known streets here are Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street, the London residence of Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets. Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest paid doctors live, and some others.
Trafalgar Square is so-named in commemoration of Nelson’s great victory. In the middle stands the famous Nelson Column with the statue of Nelson 170 feet high so as to allow him a view of the sea. The column stands in the geographical centre of the city.
One of the “musts” for the sightseer are the Houses of Parliament, facing the Thames, on one side, and Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey, on the other. The House of Commons sits to the side of the Clock Tower (Big Ben), the House of Lords – to the Victoria Tower side.
Westminster Abbey is the crowning and burial place of British monarchs. It has its world famed Poet’s Corner with memorials to Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, the Bronte’s sisters, Tennyson, Longfellow, Wordsworth, Burns, Dickens, Thackeray, Hardy, Kipling and other leading writers. Only a few however, are actually buried there.
Here too is that touching symbol of a nation’s grief, The Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
The name “West End” came to be associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum, and the best art galleries.
It is in the West End where the University of London is centred with Bloomsbury as London’s student quarter.
The Port of London is to the east of the City. Here today are kilometres and kilometres of docks, and the great industrial areas that depend upon shipping. This is the East End of London, unattractive in appearance, but very important to the country’s commerce.
In recent times London has grown so large, that the Government has decided that it must spread no farther. It is now surrounded by a “green belt” – a belt of agricultural and wooded land on which new buildings may be put up only with the permission of the planning authorities.

QUESTIONS:
1. Where is London situated?
2. Is London the largest city in Britain?
3. What is its population?
4. What is the role of London in the life of Britain?
5. What parts does London consist of?
6. What can the West End be called? What places of interest are situated in the West End?
7. What are the best known streets?
8. What is the most famous park in London?
9. What is Downing Street known for?
10. What is the name “West End” associated with?
11. Why is Trafalgar Square so-named?
12. Where were British monarchs crowned?
13. London is a big cultural centre, isn’t it?
14. Why is Buckingham Palace so interesting for tourists?
15. What is the financial centre of Great Britain?
16. Is the East End of London attractive in appearance?
17. Who lives there?
18. What famous museums would you like to visit in London?
19. What is the symbol of London and Great Britain?
20. If you found yourself in London what would you like to visit first?

LONDON STREETS AND THEIR NAMES

The names of the streets and districts are often connected with the history of the city and the country. But very often the names of the streets are so old and so changed that only few people know how this or that street got its name.
Let’s begin with Piccadilly Circus. It is a fine street which has seen much history over the centuries. For generations Piccadilly has been the heart of London. Nowardays it is such a focal point that on special occasions, such as a Coronation or on New Year’s Eve, as many as 50,000 people gather there. Actually it immortalised a man who is now forgotten. The man was a tailor who grew rich by making high collars called “piccadillies”. He built a grand house which he called Piccadilla Hall, and the name, slightly changed, has lived on.
Charing Cross is one of the oldest spots in London. Once there was a small village in that place. The villagers were charing wood, making charcoal of it. That is why the village was named Charing. In 1291 Elenor, the English Queen, died outside London. Her husband wanted her body to be taken to Westminster Abbey and buried there. At every place where the funeral procession stopped a wooden cross was erected. The last place was at Charing and since then the place is called Charing Cross. The reproduction of that last cross can be seen at the entrance to Charing Cross Railway Station. Nowadays Charing Cross Road is known by its bookshops where one can buy books in different languages and of new and old editions.
No one, however, can explain “Soho” convincingly. The legend goes that in the old days there used to be green fields there and the people around went fox-hunting a great deal. When a hunter saw a fox he called to the dogs “So-Ho”, “So Ho”. Now Soho is the district where one can see people of different types, hear them speaking different languages. It is famous for its various restaurants. There are some short streets in Soho in which six or seven restaurants of different national cooking stand one after another in a line. One can have breakfast in a Greek restaurant, dinner – in Italian and supper – in American.
These are only a few examples, but all London’s long-past history can be told by its street and district names.

GREAT PEOPLE IN LONDON

London has been the home of many famous Englishmen. Some were born there. Some lived there all their lives. Others lived in London only for a short time but all gave something to this great city.
One of the first names of importance is that of Geoffrey Chaucer, the poet. He lived most of his life in London. He knew the courts of King Richard II and King Henry IV. His most famous work, “The Canterbury Tales”, opens at the Tabard Inn, in Southwark. Chaucer held official posts in London and is buried in Westminster Abbey.
William Shakespeare also lived in London. He lived there for more than twenty years. He acted at the Globe Theatre and wrote his plays in London. But London’s famous men are not only writers. Sir Christopher Wren, the architect, spent most of his life in London. He designed many beautiful churches, including St. Paul’s Cathedral. He also designed palaces and fine houses.
Music is represented by a very interesting figure. This is George Frederick Handel. He came to London from Hanover in 1710. He lived for a time at Burlington House, Piccadilly, now the Royal Academy. After some success and some failure he at last became famous. This happened when he composed “The Messiah”, “Judas Maccabeus”, and “The Music for the Royal Fireworks”. Like Chaucer and many other great artists, Handel is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Another famous London figure is one of England’s greatest seamen Admiral Lord Nelson. He has a very special memorial in Trafalgar Square. It is called the Nelson Column. Equally famous is the general who led the army at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. This was the Duke of Wellington. His house stands at Hyde Park Corner. It is sometimes known as Number One, London. Like Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington is buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

THE TOWER OF LONDON AND TOWER BRIDGE

The Tower was begun by William the Conqueror with the aim of protecting Londoners from invasion by river. Since then it has served as a prison, a palace, and a citadel. During the reign of Henry VII part of it became a menagerie, and it was entertaining to watch a bear being led to the water’s edge to catch salmon. It is now over a century since a Thames salmon was caught – although as late as the 1820s the fish sold at Billingsgate were all caught locally.
Tower Bridge marks the beginning of the Pool of London and is the last bridge before the sea (between Wapping and Rotherhithe there is a tunnel under the Thames and another at Blackwall.) It cost one million and a half pounds to build and it was first crossed in 1894 by the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII; it harmonises well with the Tower – although, architecturally, its twin medieval towers are something of frauds, their granite faces binding steel frameworks. On an average the giant bascules, which can be raised hydraulically in a minute and a half, open a dozen times a day. Steel footways (a hundred and forty-two feet above the water) link the two towers, but, as a result of a number of attempted suicides, these have now been closed to the public.

ENGLISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

Changing the Guard
London has preserved its old ceremonies and traditions to a greater extent than any other city in England. One of the most impressive and popular displays of royal pageantry is the Changing of the Guard which takes place at Buckingham Palace every day, including Sunday, at 11.30. The troops who take part are selected from the five regiments of Foot Guards. Their numbers are dependent on whether the Queen is in residence or not. These form the famous Brigade of Guards. The men of the duty guard march from either Wellington or Chelsea Barracks to Buckingham Palace with a band, which during the actual ceremony plays in the forecourt of the Palace. The guard forms at the southern end of the forecourt under the command of the Captain of the Queen’s Guard. They are drawn up into two ranks. Each regiment has two colours: a royal one and a regimental one. The royal colour can be seen only when the Queen is at home. Sometimes the colour is decorated with a laurel wreath, signifying the anniversary of a battle in which the regiment was engaged.
The new guard enters the forecourt by the north gate. As it approaches, the old guard is called to attention. The new guard is stopped to be formed into files before it advances to position at a slow march. While this is taking place, the band plays. Later the band leads the old guard back to their barracks. Now a word about the colourful uniforms of the Foot Guards. On ceremonial duty these are scarlet tunics, blue trousers, and bearskin caps. It is easy to identify the different regiments by looking closely at the spacing of their tunic buttons. The history of the Foot Guards goes back to 1656, when Charles II of England recruited a small body-guard, which was united in the regiment of guards enrolled at the Restoration in 1660.
The Brigade of Guards serves as a personal body-guard to the Sovereign. When the Queen is in residence at Buckingham Palace, there is a guard of four sentries. Only two are on duty when she is away from London. When the Queen is in residence at Windsor Castle, another Changing the Guard ceremony takes place in the Quadrangle there at 10 a.m. daily.

The Ceremony of the Keys

Every night at 9. 53 p. m. the Chief Warder of the Yeomen Warders (Beefeaters) of the Tower of London lights a candle lantern and then makes his way towards the Bloody Tower. In the Archway his Escort await his arrival. The Chief Warder, carrying the keys, then moves off with his Escort to the West Gate, which he locks, while the Escort “present arms”. Then the Middle and Ryward Towers are locked. The party then return to the Bloody Tower Archway, and there they are halted by the challenge of the sentry. “Halt!” he commands. “Who goes there?” The Chief Warder answers, “The keys”. The sentry demands, “Whose keys?” “Queen Elizabeth’s keys”, replies the Chief Warder. “Advance, Queen Elizabeth’s keys; all’s well”, commands the sentry. Having received permission to proceed through the Archway, the party then form up, facing the Main Guard of the Tower. The order is given by the officer-in-charge to “Present Arms”. The Chief Warder cries, “God preserve Queen Elizabeth”. “Amen”, answer the Guard and Escort. At 10 p.m. the bugler sounds the “Last Post”. The Chief Warder proceeds to the Queen’s House, where the keys are given into the custody of the Resident Governor and Major. The Ceremony of the Keys dates back 700 years and has taken place every night during that period.
On one particular night April 16, 1941, bomb blast disrupted the ceremony, knocking out members of the Escort and Yeomen Warders. Despite this, the duty was completed. Only a limited number of visitors are admitted to the ceremony each night. Application to see it must be made at least forty-eight hours in advance at the Constable’s office in the Tower. Visitors with permission are admitted at 9.40 p.m. and leave at 10 p.m.