LONDON GUIDELINES

Once you have arrived in London, there are assorted places that you should, you really
should, go and see.
A good starting place is Trafalgar Square with Nelsons Colun right in the centre. !t is a
"# colun, poised on top of which is the hero of the $attle of Trafalgar, who was %illed
while winning in #&'". The four lions which surround the colun are of ore recent date,
having (een sculpted (y Sir )illia Landseer in #&*&. There are any claiants to (eing the
heart of London, (ut Trafalgar Square has the (est right, (ecause it is the hu( of so uch that
is wonderful.
+ust alongside is the church of St ,artins in the -ields, which is open throughout the day and
has (een around for a long tie. The current church dates fro #./*, (ut there has (een a
church on that site since the thirteenth century. This is the parish church for $uc%ingha
0alace and, yes, there is a royal pew. The church has soe wonderful lunch tie concerts,
which are norally free.
On the ne1t side of the square is the National 0ortrait 2allery, which is fascinating (ecause it
has the largest collection of portraits in the world although, understanda(ly, only part of the
collection is on show at any one tie. $ehind is Charing Cross station, not of great interest
e1cept that in the side road running alongside is The 0layers Theatre, old tie usic hall
where the audience is e1pected to dress up in the right costue and positively 3oin in with the
show.
4unning fro there is the Strand, which was once the fashiona(le thoroughfare of London
(ut fell on slightly seedier ties. !t is currently (eing upgraded and it still contains the Savoy
5otel 6 one of the great hotels of the world.

!f you reverse your course fro Trafalgar Square, you will go up the ,all, past 5orse 2uards
0arade and at the end is the ipressive (uilding which is $uc%ingha 0alace. And you pass
St +aes on the way up.
So thats one quic% fi1 on part of London fro one central point. $ut London has so any
other central points. 7ou can do the sae sort of orientation fro 0iccadilly Circus or 5yde
0ar% Corner or, indeed, pretty uch anywhere. Once you have your (earings you can start to
concentrate on specific areas.
7ou ight li%e to start with the 5ouses of 0arliaent, which have (een operating in one for
or another since #/.". )orth %nowing that the original 0arliaent was in St Stephens
Chapel and the e(ers sat in the choir stalls facing each other. That tradition carries on to
this day.
7ou can go to the visitors gallery in the afternoon and evening when 0arliaent is sitting.
Typically it opens at /.8' 0, and will stay open until #'.8' 0, or even later. !f you plan
your visits for the evening you will not have to queue.
+ust round the corner is )estinster A((ey. 9very :ing and ;ueen of 9ngland since )illia
the Conqueror has (een crowned here, and any are (uried here, as well as any other
nota(le historic figures. !n the eora(le words of an Aerican )i(ledon contestant 6 <its
3ust a lot of dead dudes.= )estinster A((ey is one of the great tourist attractions of London
and it is nearly always crowded. 7our (est (et is to get there at opening tie, which is & A,.
And fro there you ight li%e to go and see the Changing of The 2uard, which happens
fro a(out the iddle of April until the end of +uly at ##.8' in the orning, and creates
onster traffic 3as with par%ed tourist (uses everywhere. 2et there early and you will see
one of the five regients of -oot 2uards arch fro )ellington $arrac%s and go through the
age6old cereony. 7ou ay not understand the orders (eing shouted, (ut they are in 9nglish.
On one occasion that whole guard was ounted using the single coand, <(acon and
eggs.= Strange (ut true. !f the scene outside $uc%ingha 0alace is a (it too crowded for you,
go to 5orse 2uards in )hitehall and watch the 5ousehold Cavalry ount the guard and then
ride off along the all. $oth guards are changed a(out the sae tie.
-ro ilitary pop and circustance you can venture to soewhere a little softer, a little
ore restrained. One of the new places, which have grown into a a3or tourist attraction, is
Covent 2arden. This used to (e where all the fruit and vegeta(les coing to London fro the
country were sorted out and sold. 7ou ay recall that the opening scenes of 0ygalion and,
later, ,y -air Lady are set there. Now the fruit and vegeta(le ar%ets have oved out to the
su(ur(s, (ut soe of the old feeling still reains. There have (een treendous efforts ade
to refur(ish the old (uildings so they retain a feeling of authenticity.
Covent 2arden 0la>a in the centre of the area has regained soe of the popularity it
e1perienced in the #.th6century. !t has coffee6houses, street entertainent, (outiques, elegant
shops and a feeling of cafe society. All traffic is (anned, which a%es wal%ing around a
pleasure.

)al% fro Covent 2arden down -leet Street, once the newspaper capital of $ritain until
4upert ,urdoch oved his newspapers to the old doc%land area. And there, ahead of you, is
the a3esty of St 0auls.
This is the (uilding that survived the Second )orld )ar against all odds. !t was designed (y
Christopher )ren, although this is the third church on the site. The previous one (urned down
in the 2reat -ire of London in #***. !t is interesting that this is one of the very few cathedrals
in $ritain to have (een designed (y an architect, and the result is glorious.
!f youre feeling e1ceptionally energetic, cli( to the 2olden 2allery 6 "8' steps, and you
will (e puffing at the end 6 to see one of the great views of London. !n a very real sense St
0auls is one of the churches of the City of London. !t gets a (it confusing, (ut note that the
City of London is quite separate fro the rest of London, which is 2reater London. The City
of London even has its own special police force. !t is the financial centre of the city of
2reater London, and once (oasted ?ic% )hittington as its Lord ,ayor. 7ou can wal% the
narrow streets for hours and find soething fresh and fascinating around every corner.
-ro there it is very easy to wal% down to Tower $ridge and the Tower of London, which is
awesoe, frightening and yet at the sae tie e1treely charing. )hile you are there, loo%
at the Crown +ewels in the +ewel 5ouse. 7ou go past the on a traveling wal%way, which
gives you tie to try and wor% out how uch they are worth.
All of this that has (een suggested would ta%e two days and would give you a feel for the city
and a taste, (ut only a taste, of the chars of London.
Noel Coward in one of his (etter songs had the line <every stone (ears the stap of history=.
The song was called London 0ride and the words are very true, very precise and very
accurate.