London Attractions
London Attractions
Afternoon Tea
Not so much as a London Attraction but more of a tradition. Is afternoon Tea began as a little snack to bridge the gap between luncheon and dinner. Anna Maria Russell, the Duchess of Bedford is widely credit as starting the fashion of taking Afternoon Tea. It started off with her taking a slice of bread and a pot of tea in her rooms at Woburn Abbey, to get her through the what she called her afternoon “sinking feeling”. Gradually, the duchess began to invite friends to join. When she returned to London, she kept the practice going.
The idea caught on amongst upper class ladies. They were an informal private event and evolved into a mini meal. Then, Queen Victoria started hosting much larger and more formal events, that were known as ‘tea receptions’. The receptions hosted up to 200 guests, who received an invitation to attend any time between 4:00pm and 7:00pm. And so, the tradition of Afternoon Tea as we know it was born.
Afternoon Tea usually consists of sandwiches (with the crusts removed and cut delicately into fingers or triangles). Alongside these, there are sweet pastries and cakes, traditionally slices of Battenburg or Victoria Sponge. Scones with clotted cream and jam were a bit of late arrival at the party only introduced in the later twentieth century.
In the UK today, Afternoon Tea is usually enjoyed as an occasional indulgence or to celebrate a special event such as a birthday. Often, champagne or prosecco can be added to the tea to up the indulgence level. There are places all across London to take Afternoon Tea, from grand hotels like the Savoy to small cafes. You can even combine the Afternoon Tea experience with a trip on one of London’s iconic Routemaster Buses on the Brigit’s Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. This unique experience combines a delicious Afternoon Tea with a tour around London.
London Attractions Beef Eaters
Officially known as as Yeoman Warders, Beafeaters live at the Tower as its guards and are also one of its star attractions. There are 36 Yeoman Warders plus the Chief Yeoman and Yeoman Gaoler.
Their guided tours of the Tower are legendary, with tales of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and lots of laughs along the way. With bags of personality and humour, the Beefeaters make history interesting and intriguing. The tours are included for free with all Tower of London tickets. They begin every 30 minutes at the main entrance to the Tower, and last around an hour.
Top tip: As the tours are so popular, we recommend arriving early as they can get very busy later in the day.
London Attractions Black cab
They are a London icon; watch any film set in London and you will see them in every shot. Yes, the London Black Cab is world famous.
The first taxicab licenses were issued in 1639 to the Corporation of Coachmen. Hackney carriages, the first horse-drawn carriages for hire, were issued their licenses in 1662, and later became Hansom Cabs in 1834. The first motorised cabs were introduced to London in 1908 and by the 1920s they had superseded hansom cabs as the primary taxi vehicle. By law, taxicabs had to be tall enough for a passenger to sit comfortably while wearing a bowler hat.
Black cabs have a turning circle of only 25 feet – this requirement stems from the exceptionally small roundabout in front of the Savoy Hotel. The reason for this is supposedly to accommodate the small roundabout at the entrance of the Savoy Hotel. This turning radius later became legally required of all London taxis. Savoy Court is also one of the only places in London where vehicles drive on the right.
One of the Most popular London attractions is or was the black Cabs one of the places you will hear real native Londoners speaking.Generally these cabs were driven by Londoners. With a strong London accent. to speak like a native contact James HERE.Adverts first appeared on London taxis in 1928 but were scrapped a few years later after the bus companies complained it was denting their advertising revenue. It was only in 1982 that they returned, after a Royal Parks Act was amended to enable the carrying of advertising through the parks. In recent years it’s really taken off and now most carry black cabs carry advertising – most are wrapped with all-over advertising.
It comes as a surprise to most people that ‘Black Cabs’ actually come in 12 different colours: Black, City blue, Diamond white, Sunburst yellow, Sherwood green, Atlantic blue, Thistle blue, British racing green, Nightfire red, Oxford blue, Storm grey and Platinum silver.
Buckingham Palace of the must see London attractions
Buckingham Palace: A Must-See Attraction in London
Buckingham Palace is one of the most famous landmarks in London and is the official residence of the British monarch. Located in the heart of the city, this magnificent building attracts millions of visitors every year from all corners of the globe. The palace’s rich history, stunning architecture, and exquisite furnishings make it the perfect place to visit when exploring London.
History
Originally known as Buckingham House, the palace was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. The house was later purchased by King George III in 1761 and was then transformed into a royal residence. Over the years, the palace underwent various renovations and expansions, including the addition of the famous balcony in 1850.
Today, the palace serves as the residence of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Visitors can witness the changing of the guard ceremony, which takes place daily during the summer months and on alternate days in winter.
Architecture
The palace’s stunning architecture is simply breathtaking. The building’s façade is made up of Portland stone and features classical elements such as columns, pilasters, and pediments. The palace has a total of 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms which are used for official functions and ceremonies.
The palace’s grand entrance, known as the principal façade, is adorned with a spectacular balcony that overlooks the palace gardens. It is from this balcony that members of the royal family address large crowds during special occasions, such as royal weddings or the birth of a new heir to the throne.
Furnishings and Decorations
The palace’s luxurious interior is also a sight to behold. The state rooms are filled with exquisite furnishings and decorations, including works of art by some of the world’s most famous artists. Visitors can admire the palace’s stunning ballroom, which is the largest room in the palace and is used for state banquets and other formal occasions.
One of the most impressive rooms in the palace is the Throne Room, which features two thrones (one for the monarch and one for the consort) and is used for the formal reception of foreign ambassadors and high commissioners. The room is also used for investitures, where people are awarded honors or knighthoods by the monarch.
In Conclusion
Buckingham Palace is a must-see attraction for anyone visiting London. The palace is steeped in history and is a symbol of the British monarchy. Whether you are interested in the palace’s rich history or simply want to marvel at its stunning architecture and luxurious furnishings, a visit to Buckingham Palace is an unforgettable experience.
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Elena Malyshkina
James is a very professional teacher with whom i recommend to work 100%.
I had several goals before we start
1 – resume my English communication skills after almost a 10-year break
2 – not to afraid to speak because of the possible grammar mistakes
3 – expand my vocabulary to continue working in consulting business all over the world
And during our lessons we archived it on 100%, 100% and 70% now and “work in progress”.
Advantages of working with James:
– Native speaker – faster progress
– Very extensive work experience and professional approach is felt thanks to this
– Personal training materials, which are constantly improving and progressing
– Very diverse tips on how to progress independently in between classes
– It is always a pleasure to work with a person who understands his mission
– James’ interest in student development is always felt
I highly recommend working and have progressed in English with James!
Ilya
We have been working with Jimmi since October 2021. He is an excellent teacher who is ready to adapt to your wishes. We had excellent and productive IELTS preparation classes and had wonderful conversational classes where we discussed various topics and our hobbies. It turned out that Jimmi loves music and Formula 1, just like me. Classes are fun and fruitful!
Dmitry
“Смело могу рекомендовать James кака репетитора английского языка.
Открытый и доброжелательный человек. Общение идет только на английском, так как другого языка он не знает. Объясняет все доходчиво и понятно. Преподаватель адаптирует стили ведения урока под знания ученика, знаю так как мой сын также учился у James.
Нет напряжения и отношения- я учитель, ты ученик. С James ты изучаешь настоящий английский –английский.
Nikita Mukhin
После 2,5 лет в международной школе у 12- летнего сына был приличный уровень английского, поэтому когда мы прервали обучение там, стали искать репетитора “native speaker”. Джимми Монк стал настоящей находкой для нас! Два урока в неделю по скайпу в течение года позволили не только сохранить набранный уровень, но и существенно продвинуться в лексике. Очень важно, что сын слышал от учителя “настоящий британский английский”, не отягощенный акцентом.
Через год, вернувшись в международную школу, сын смог успешно сдать вступительный тест и не испытывал значительных сложностей в общении с преподавателями и своими позврослевшими англоговорящими одноклассниками. Спасибо Джимми за это!
Polina Mark and Kira
Yulia Anisakharova,
When I started learning English with James my speaking skills were so poor, that I asked him to work on General English instead of Marketing. I felt very uncomfortable while speaking. Months were passing by, James was providing me with such complex topics, which I almost never speak about in Russian. I struggled with discussing them. But in 3 months I was able to easily go through a job interview! I haven’t even realised when I became such confident! And James provided me with useful idioms, such expressions that natives use, like “I’m in between jobs” instead of “I don’t work currently”. Also, I want to mention that James is an incredibly interesting person to talk to! He has more than 20 years of travelling experience and so many brilliant stories to tell from there! So I’m very happy that I could learn from him!
Yulia Anisakharova,
Moscow, Russia
Sergei
Business English was what I wanted, But not just business I wanted pacifically Law. And James organized a perfect course for me and gave me all the vocabulary and grammar used for law. We studied for 6 months. What I like about James is he will just do things as and when needed. We work on my pronunciation and fluency and confidence It only took 6 months to get my fluency perfect. James is a great language coach and I advise anyone that choosing James would be the right decision. Really thank you, James
