London 2012
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year
The London 2012 events will inlude the royal barge sailing down the river Thames with its glittering gold in an incredible dazzle of 1,000 ships, while on either side of the banks of the river Thames the air will fill with the rich sound of all the old church bells with the evening sky ablaze with fireworks
and crowds that will hopefully be in the millions.
These are of course the big plans being evisioned for London 2012 next year being the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen. If you think about, all pomp and ceremony would have sounded very familiar to Queen Elizabeth 1st as well.
History tells us that Queen Elizabetth 1st was quite an entrepreneur when it came to designing the river Thames into an incredible moving theatre.
The idea of the river Thames becoming a foating pageant in London 2012, is not only an inspiration from an earlier historical spectacular, it also confirms the fact that the river Thames, not so long ago was technically a dead river which has been unbelievably restored to a beautifully fast running river. When the Queen makes this royal voyage from Putney to Greenwich in the London 2012 event, she'll be sailing on waters that rippled with familiar history and a new energy.
Not only have the old, grey and aweful looking disused warehouses of the river Thames dockland gone, the area been transformed with great gleaming towers of silver and glass. Happily, the fish of the river Thames have returned too. The fish include pike and salmon which now swim and spawn in the clean fast running river Thames, and this is, by the way, the first time in well over a hundred years.
The first grand royal procession on the river Thames began with Henry VIII, and continued with Elizabeth Ist. History shows us that in the 16th century, cruising these waters, under the windows of the Thames side houses, there would have been boats covered with cloths of gold, rich tapestries and flags with tiny bells sewn in so that when the wind blew there were hundreds of little chimes. These were extraordinary displays of beauty and power way back then.
Also London 2012 will be an extraordinary year as London hosts the 2012 summer olympic games.
Click here for a brief overview.
In the 1960's London was the Swinging capital of England. Then about thirty years later, it was known as the Cool Britannia city. And of course London is very much the place to be, to this day! It has a vibrant culture and it just keeps expanding and developing, and you can feel the buzz as soon as you arrive
here. Because of London’s successful bid for the London 2012 Olympics, there will be more to come with the city changing and reinventing itself at a pace unseen since the days of Queen Victoria.
London is changing and it’s changing fast. Look across the skyline and you will see not only the familiar landmarks – Big Ben, St Paul’s and Buckingham Palace , but also extraordinary new buildings such as the Swiss Tower, also known as the “Gherkin” because of its shape, and the new County Hall, quietly gazing down to the river Thames as though to slide into the water.
When in London, sightseeing comes into play, especially when you walk the south bank of the river Thames. From Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, you'll be passing by the the National Theatre, the Oxo Tower, Tate Modern, Globe Theatre, Southwark Cathedral and City Hall. You'll soon come to realize that this is one of the greatest urban waterfronts in the world.
Also, you just must take a ride on the London Eye, the world’s largest observation wheel offering a spectacular view over the city in 30 minutes. Take in over 55 of London 2012 most famous landmarks while you're here too.
As mentioned earlier, in the heart of London 2012, you'll find Soho and its mix of narrow streets and alleys, trendy shops, elegant bars, and theatres. Notting Hill, well-known from the movie of the same name, this fact alone attracts an ever increasing number of visitors each year. Despite this, it has managed to retain its character of an eccentric village where some people still dressed in their pyjamas, veture out to get their Sunday newspaper.
Over the next twenty years, London will see new developments on a scale unseen since the days of Queen Victoria and will build up even more momentum for regeneration especially after London’s successful bid for the London 2012 Olympics.
You'll find it most refreshing as you stroll down famous Oxford Street where you’ll find Selfridge’s, just one of London’s best known department stores. Close to Oxford Street is fashionable Bond Street in Mayfair, where more and more interesting shops have opened over the last few of years.
New Bond Street boasts a concentration of some of the best and biggst bouteque and designer shops in the world: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Donna Karan and Versace to name a few. Bond Street also houses Sotheby’s auction house and a number of antique stores for you to explore.Although London 2012 will be a magical and fun city to experience, it will blend in naturally with nature and the wildlife, esprcially as we have plenty of green and open spaces for you enjoy here. London has eight Royal Parks, infact, you’ll be spoilt as you can enjoy everything from boating lakes, golf courses, outdoor theatres and relaxing on deckchairs.
Some of the best known parks are in London. For example; Green Park, between Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent’s Park with its Open Air Theatre, St James’s Park facing Buckingham Palace, and Richmond Park. Richmond Park was the former hunting park of King Charles I, which feature roaming deer and other wildlife.
Very few cities have as many sights and sounds as London. For example: St Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Hyde Park, The Tower of London, plus a grand selection of galleries and museums, just to name a few. All these landmarks mentioned on this page are worth a must visit, and especially if this will be your first visit to London 2012.
Below is a quick Review of some London Attractions:
Buckingham Palace
The Palace has been the London home of the Royal Family since 1837, but it only opened its doors to the public in 1993. The State Rooms contain some of the finest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings, sculptures and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. Enjoy a walk in the Palace’s 39-acre garden with its superb views of the Garden, front of the Palace and the 19th-century lake.
Address: The Official Residences of The Queen, SW1
Underground: Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner
Phone: +44 (0)20 7766 7300
Internet:
www.royal.gov.uk
Houses of Parliament
The neo-Gothic brilliance of the Houses of Parliament is impressive. It was built by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin in 1840. Together with its clock tower Saint Stephen’s Tower, the clock itself, Big Ben, is easily the best-known of London’s many landmarks.
Address: Parliament Square, SW1
Underground: Westminster
Phone: +44 (0)20 7219 3000
Tickets: Free admission.
Internet:
www.parliament.uk
London Eye
A staggering 137 metres in height, this smart-looking observation wheel gives a superb view of London 2012. A “flight”, as a turn is called, is taken in one of the 32 capsules, with each capsule holding 25 people, and lasts for 30 minutes.
Address: Westminster Bridge Road. SW1
Underground: Westminster, Waterloo
Phone: +44 870 5000 600
Internet: www.londoneye.com
Tower of London
Construction begun in 1078 by William the Conqueror. Today, the Tower of London is one of the most famous fortified buildings in the world. Here you can see the priceless Crown Jewels, the Medieval Palace and the infamous Bloody Tower.
Address: Tower of London, EC3
Underground: Tower Hill
Phone: +44 (0)20 7488 5663
Internet: www.hrp.org.uk
The Victoria & Albert Museum
The V & A, as it’s commonly known, has breathtaking collections of everything from Islamic art to iconic clothing by Vivienne Westwood. However, it is the always stunningly designed exhibitions that truly set the V & A apart.
Address: Cromwell Road, SW7
Underground: South Kensington
Phone: +44 (0)20 7942 2000
Tickets: Admission is free but tickets for temporary exhibitions vary.
Internet: www.vam.ac.uk
British Museum
The British Museum is regarded as one of the biggest and finest museums in the world. It attracts six million visitors yearly. Exhibition highlights are the Assyrian treasures, the Egyptian mummies and the spectacular, light-filled Great Court.
Address: Great Russell Street, WC1
Underground: Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Russell Square,
Goodge St
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8299 / +44 (0)20 7323 8000
Tickets: Free admission.
Internet: www.britishmuseum.org
Tate Modern
Housed in a former power station, Tate Modern is both imposing and impressive even before you step foot inside. Since opening in 2000, TM has become one of London’s lead attractions thanks to high-profile exhibitions of artists such as Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys and Frida Kahlo.
Address: Bankside, SE1
Underground: Southwark, Blackfriars
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7887 8888
Tickets: free admission to the collections. Ticket prices for
temporary exhibitions vary.
Internet: www.tate.org.uk
Shakespeare’s Globe
The Globe is a reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre, co-owned by William Shakespeare and the theatre where he first staged many of his plays. It burned down in 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII. Now, almost 400 years later, it has risen again almost on the same spot.
Address: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1
Underground: Mansion House
Phone: +44 (0)20 7902 1500
Tickets: Ticket prices for plays vary.
Internet: www.shakespeares-globe.org
Where to Eat in London 2012
It may surprise you to hear that Britain´s favourite food is - Chicken Tikka Masala. The popularity of Indian cuisine means that you will find Indian restaurants in practically every neighbourhood in London.
Traditional English restaurants are much rarer (if you want roast beef or saddle of mutton the best bet is still Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, 100 the Strand, WC2, tel. +44 (0)20 7836 9112) English cuisine has, however, seen a revival in the restaurants and recipes of celebrated chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Marco
Pierre White and Fergus Henderson.
Between the curry and the Welsh rarebit, just about every other cuisine in the world is represented in London, and often at a world-class level. This is particularly true of major cuisines such as Italian, Chinese, French and Indian.
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