LocationSoutheastern England, United Kingdom.
Dialling code44.
Population7.5 million (metropolitan area).
Time zoneGMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity240 volts AC, 50Hz; square three-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temperatures5°C (41°F).
Average July temperatures18°C (64°F).
Annual rainfall585mm (23 inches).
LanguageIntroductionAlthough English is the official national
language in the UK, 275 separate languages are actually spoken in the nation’s multicultural capital. It is perhaps surprising, then, that the acquisition of a second European language remains a low priority among most of the native population. A typical London accent is characterized by a dropped ‘h’ at the beginning of words, a glottal stop instead of ‘tt’ in the middle of words and the elongation of ‘a’ to ‘i’. Professor Higgins (Rex Harrison) famously tries to cure Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) of this habit in the film,
My Fair Lady (based on George Bernard Shaw’s play
Pygmalion), by making her recite ‘The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain’ and not ‘The rhine in Spine falls minely on the pline’.
Cost of Living:1 British Pound Sterling (£1) = US$1.46; C$1.77; A$2.05; €1.07Currency conversion rates as of January 2009Special Events:New Year’s Day ParadeJanuary
Parliament Square, SW1, to Berkeley Square, W1
Website:
www.londonparade.co.uk
Chinese New Year CelebrationsLate January/February
Gerrard Street, Chinatown, WC2
Website:
www.london.gov.uk/mayor/chinese_ny/index.jsp
The Oxford and Cambridge Boat RaceLate March-early April
River Thames from Mortlake, SW14, to Putney, SW15
Website:
www.theboatrace.org
Flora London MarathonApril
Blackheath, SE3, to the Mall, SW1
Website:
www.london-marathon.co.uk
Chelsea Flower ShowMay
Show gardens and flowers aplenty at this popular spring show.
Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW1
Website:
www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea
MeltdownJune
Music festival with a different famous curator choosing the line-up each year.
Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, SE1
Website:
www.rfh.org.uk/meltdown Trooping the ColorQueen’s Birthday parade.
June
Buckingham Palace, the Mall and Horse Guards’ Parade, SW1
Website:
www.royal.gov.ukWimbledon Lawn Tennis ChampionshipsJune-early July
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, SW19
Website:
www.wimbledon.org London PrideJuly
Gay and lesbian pride parade and festival, Hyde Park and central London.
Website:
www.pridelondon.orgPromenade Concerts (The Proms)July-mid September
Royal Albert Hall, SW7
Website:
www.bbc.co.uk/proms Mela
August
A one-day festival aimed at celebrating south Asian culture and creativity.
Gunnersbury Park, Ealing
Website:
www.london.gov.uk/mayor/asian_london/index.jspNotting Hill CarnivalAugust
Notting Hill, W8
Website:
www.lnhc.org.uk
London Fashion Week
September
Website:
www.londonfashionweek.co.ukLord Mayor’s Show
Celebratory parade.
November
City of London, EC1
London Film FestivalLate October-early November
National Film Theater, South Bank, SE1, and other cinemas around London
Website:
www.lff.org.uk
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Related London Content
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
Related England Content
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
England Airport Guides:
|
England City Guides:
|
| England Attraction Guides: |
|
|
|
|
