Roman London

Published on 29 August 2014

London’s first emergence in the history books took place during the invasion of Romans in Britain, around 43 AD. The Romans constructed a crossing over the River Thames, somewhere near the present-day London Bridge. By the 3rd century AD, it was the administrative and commercial centre of Roman Britain and a substantial town where around 30,000 residents lived. The need for Roman troops to cross the river ended in making many roads and the London Bridge.

Just 18 years after the arrival of the Romans, Boudicca, queen of the Iceni tribe of present-day East Anglia, launched her revolt against the new rulers of Britain. The new trading centre of London was one of her key targets, and her soldiers levelled the growing city to the ground and killed thousands of the traders who had begun to settle there after realising that they could get their living from the trade.

By the middle of the second century AD, Londinium possessed the biggest Basilica (town hall) west of the Alps, a governor’s palace, a temple, bathhouses, and a large fort for the city garrison. Grace Church Street, in the City, runs through the middle of the old Roman basilica and forum (marketplace).

One of the finest Roman leftovers in London is the 2nd-century Temple of Mithras (Mithraism was a form of religion popular among Roman soldiers). It was found near Walbrook during construction work in this century and moved to Temple Court, Queen Victoria Street. Artefacts recovered from the excavation of the temple are now safely placed in the Museum of London.

About the year 200 AD, a defensive wall was built around the city. For well over a millennium the shape and size of London was defined by this Roman wall. The area within the wall is now “the City”, London’s famous financial district. Traces of the wall can still be seen in a few places in London.

London continued its growth under the late Roman Empire, and at its peak, the population probably numbered about 45,000. But, as the Roman Empire squeaked its way to a tottering old age, the troops defending London’s trade routes were recalled across the Channel, and the city went into a decline that lasted several centuries.

Victorian London

Published on 5 July 2014

History of London

The Victorian city of London was a city of startling contrasts. New buildings and affluent development went hand in hand with horribly overcrowded slums where people lived in the worst conditions imaginable. The population surged during the 19th century, from about 1 million in 1800 to over 6 million a century later. This growth far exceeded London’s ability to look after the basic needs of its citizens.

Upon the condition of London in the 19th century, an unlikely hero, an engineer named Joseph Bazalgette. Bazalgette entered and was responsible for rescuing and building over 2,100 km of tunnels and pipes to divert sewage outside the city. This made a radical impact on the death rate, and outbreaks of cholera fell dramatically after Bazlgette’s project was finished. Bazalgette was also responsible for the design of the Albert Bridge, Embankment, the Battersea, and Hammersmith.

Before the engineering achievements of Bazalgette came the architectural success of George IV’s favourite designer John Nash. Nash designed the broad avenues of Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Carlton House Terrace, and Oxford Circus, as well as the ongoing creation of Buckingham House into a palace worthy of a monarch later.

Just at the back of Buckingham Palace, the Grosvenor family developed the patrician Belgrave Square. In 1830 land just east of the palace was cleared of the royal stables to create Trafalgar Square, and the new National Gallery came into existence just two years later.

The early part of the 19th century was the golden age of steam. The first railway in London was built from London Bridge to Greenwich in 1836, and a great railway boom followed. Major stations were built at Euston (1837), Paddington (1838), Fenchurch Street (1841), Waterloo (1848), and King’s Cross (1850).

In 1834 the Houses of Parliament at Westminster Palace burned down. They were gradually replaced by the triumphant mock Gothic Houses of Parliament designed by Charles Barry and A.W. Pugin.

The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, known by the public as Big Ben, was built in 1859. The origin of the name Big Ben is in some dispute, but there is no argument that the moniker refers to the bells of the tower, NOT to the large clock itself.

In 1848 the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland. Well, you must be thinking about what it has to do with the history of London. Well, there’s a lot. Over 100,000 broke Irish people fled their native land and settled in London, making at one time up to 20% of the total population of the city of London.

Prince Albert, companion of Queen Victoria was mainly responsible for one of the defining moments of the era that bears his wife’s name; the Great Exhibition of 1851. This was the first grand world fair, a showcase of technology and manufacturing from countries all over the world. The Exhibition was held in Hyde Park, and the centrepiece was Joseph Paxton’s revolutionary iron and glass hall, known as the “Crystal Palace”.

The exhibition was an immense success, with over 200,000 attendees. The proceeds from the Great Exhibition went towards the founding of two new permanent displays, which became the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. After the event, the Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham, in South London, where it stayed until it burned to the ground in 1936.

The year 1863 saw the completion of the very first underground railway in London, from Paddington to Farringdon Road. The project was so successful that other lines soon followed.

However, the expansion of transport was not limited to dry land. As the hub of the British Empire, the Thames was clogged with ships from all over the world, and London had more shipyards than any place in the known world.

Bonham’s Classic Car Auction at RAF Museum

Published on 22 June 2014

Attraction/Blog/Tours

What a lovely day it was for us to go to the RAF Museum to see Bonham’s Classic Car auction for the general public before it was open for the real auction. We came to know about the auction from the newspaper and it was something new for us to discover and explore. Knowing we’d never been to the RAF Museum before, we gave it a shot and planned our day.

RAF Museum Map at the entrance

How to reach the RAF Museum?

To plan our day we looked at the TFL website to help us plan our journey to the RAF Museum. Getting around in London is much easier with the help of the TFL website. We were living in east London so the first train we had to take from East Ham was either the District or the Hammersmith line, both trains go through Whitechapel. From there we had two options, if you are on the District line you can continue on it till Monument, hop off and from there you can get the Northern line which directly goes to the Colindale tube station. And if you are on the Hammersmith line, you can go till Moorgate and change from there for the Northern line going towards Edgware.

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Echo Alpha Tango Restaurant at RAF museum

Once we reached Colindale tube station, it was a 150-meter walk to the RAF Museum. Surely if you have an internet-enabled smartphone or a 4G phone(requisite) you will easily find your way to the museum. Make sure you don’t get confused with Grahame Park and Grahame Park Way. It would help if you looked for Graham Parkway to reach the museum. Once you are there you will be excited to see the big warehouse-style place with a grey colour all over it on your right. Entry to the museum is free for all.

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RAF Museum parking space

RAF Museum entrance gate

Inside the RAF Museum

Ones you enter on the left-hand side of the Park you will see the Map telling you where you have entered from and what places you will see ahead. You will see fighter planes and rocket launchers in the parking area. Something which you will not see in any normal parking area in any town. Walking all the way you will see on your right the warships. In slight light, you will see Restaurant EAT which is amusingly named Echo E, Alpha A, and Tango T. Moving ahead you will see the Museum entrance next. Once you enter inside you will get to go around the war aircraft, engines, and some spectacular fighter jets.

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RAF Museum Aircraft display

RAF Museum Aircraft display

After crossing one hall you enter into another which looks even bigger from the inside and gives me a feeling that it will even have bigger aircraft and classic planes. I was right, there were some massive and great old aircraft showcased and there we started to see the classic cars lined up next to the aircraft. It was one spectacle watching the good old classic cars next to the fighter jets.

Cars from as far as 60 years old were showcased for the auction, the next day the auction was starting, and we were lucky ones you can say to see them before the hammer bade them adieu to the new owners. In my entire life, I have never seen such a fleet of beautiful classic cars. Classic Aston Martin, Austin Mini, Bentleys, Rolls Royce and many more were all there shiny and looking simply royal and breathtaking.

Beautiful open Sitting Area in RAF Museum

If you wish to nook the RAF Museum London tour, you can book from the below button. We have also shared a brief highlight of the tour for your review and booking.

Highlights RAF Museum London & the Battle of Britain

This fully guided tour provides an intriguing tour of the London RAF Museum, its highlights and its legacy. Featuring the best of Museum exhibits in addition to a one-of-a-kind thrilling opportunity to see an original Spitfire up-close, this incomparable tour experience is led by a local London professional guide and aviation enthusiast, featuring unprecedented insights into the heart of Britain’s command of the skies during some of the world’s most dramatic air battles.

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Please see the map below for planning your travel to the RAF Museum.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park & ArcelorMittal Orbit Tour

Published on 11 May 2014

Attraction/Tours

Enjoy views of London from ArcelorMittal Orbit, often known as Orbit Tower, the tallest sculpture in the United Kingdom. Located in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the looping sculpture is the city’s lasting symbol from the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. This admission ticket gets you access to the viewing galleries for panoramic photo ops of London.

Well if you missed the London 2012 Olympics and were not able to support your country’s team in the 2012 Olympics, you might as well visit the Olympic park from now on, because the British government has officially opened the Olympic park for the general public on 4th April 2014. Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the biggest parks opened in the city after a very long time. The Olympic Park was a place of high energy and vibe during the London 2012 Olympics.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

How to reach Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

As I am in London, I grabbed this opportunity to go and have at this marvel myself. I wanted to know what’s the fuzz about and whether it holds the reputation of the next big public park. As I have been living in East London, I will explain to you my journey to Elizabeth Olympic Park, what I saw and its key features. Travelling to the Olympic Park was not a big issue, I took the District line from East Ham towards Hammersmith and then changed at West Ham to catch the Jubilee Line towards Stanmore. You need to hop out of Stratford tube station. It is then a 10 mins walk to the Westfield Shopping Centre. The Queen Elizabeth Park is on the southeastern side of the Westfield Stratford shopping centre. To reach the park all you have to do from the Stratford tube station is to follow the arrows towards the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. You will be guided through the shopping centre.

Stratford Tube Station guide to the Olympic Park

Weekend Delight for Family time – Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

This park is perfect for Sunday brunch and family hangouts. The park is indeed huge when you enter. On your left-hand side is the London Aquatics Centre and in front of you is the Podium. When you walk across the bridge on your left-hand side you will see this tall famous landmark building named Arcelor Mittal Orbit created by Anish Kapoor and designer Cecil Balmond. The orbit is also one of the tallest sculptures in the UK. The views get better and better ahead.

Knowing I came to the park for the first time, I wanted to go to the Arcelor Mittal Orbit. I looked around the Aquatic Centre and looked here and there and walked towards the orbit. Then I came across interactive water fountains, where I saw kids playing with water and getting drenched and enjoying. Though I must say it was very cold. Brave kids and their eagerness to play in the water made them forget it was a chilled day.

London Aquatics Centre

ArcelorMittal Orbit view

The view of the Arcelor Mittal Orbit was getting even better and better and gigantic with every step I was taking towards it. The area had nice wooden-finished seating and grippy turf to walk on. On the right-hand side of me, there was a nice restaurant named EastTwenty Bar and Kitchen and just opposite was the ticket counter for the entry to the Orbit. You will be surprised to know the price of an adult ticket to go to the top of the Arcelor Mittal Orbit. The admission price to go to the top of the Orbit was a staggering £ 12.50 per adult, children 3-16 years £ 7.50 and the family ticket for 2 adults, and 2 children was GBP 32. I was simply taken aback by the ticket price to have a look at the orbit. We went to Emirates Air Line London’s First Cable Car and paid £ 3.50 and the orbit admission fees are sky high as the orbit itself. The hard decision I made was not to go inside the orbit as I was running tight on budget. So, I walked around took some pictures and hung out there for another half an hour in the park. Below are the ticket prices for the Orbit Skyline views:

ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline Views: ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline Views

ArcelorMittal Orbit Skyline views Tickets

Ticket Type	Advance Booking	Ticket Office
Adult (17 years)	£ 11.50	£ 12.50
Child (3-16 years)	£ 5.50	£ 7.50
Senior/Student*	£ 8.50	£ 10.50
Family**	£ 32	£ 34

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The Slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit

Skyline Views and Ride the Slide Combo

Ticket Type	Advance Booking	Ticket Office
Adult (17 years)	£ 16.50	£ 17.50
Child (8-16 years)	£ 10.50	£ 12.50
Senior/Student*	£ 13.50	£ 15.50
Family Ticket**	£ 52	£ 54

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The park was massive and a great place to relax when the sun was out. I hope the Orbit Admission cost comes down and then I will go explore it one day. For sure, families who are looking for a day out and tourists who are looking at some remarkable views of the city must go and enjoy the views. Make sure you go to the park on a sunny day. I went on a cloudy day and it does not do justice to the park’s beauty. A park is also a nice place for cyclists. If you are short on food supplies Westfield Shopping Centre is right behind you to grab the snacks and treats.

: ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower and Water Fountain

Sightseeing Tour of St Katherine’s Docks

Published on 15 April 2014

Attraction/Restaurants

Sightseeing Tour of St Katherine’s Docks

I have been to London quite many times. This time I visited St Katherine’s Docks by mistake and it was worth making this mistake. I planned to go around places where I have never been—essentially going off beaten tracks around London. Every tourist who comes to London surely goes to Tower Bridge to visit the bridge and the Tower of London. As I myself have been to Tower Bridge many times I decided to go around it instead going straight to it. Checking out the areas surrounding.

St Katherine Dockland london — St Katherine Dockland London

Random Discovery of St Katherine’s Docks

What I discovered to my surprise was when I walked towards the bridge, I took the left turn and came across St Katherine’s Dockland. It’s essentially a luxury Yacht Marina, with a leisure area around. It’s a nice walk of about 2 km in total from Tower Bridge to St Katherine’s Docks and back to the bridge. While walking beside the Thames river you will be routed towards St Katherine’s way. Then in front of you, you have this nice Marina view and lots of leisure yachts docked. On the right when you cross there is a nice Italian Restaurant named River Lounge.

St Katherine's Dock Luxury Yachts Marina — St Katherine’s Dock Luxury Yachts Marina

Restaurants and Pubs around St Katherine’s Dock

On a sunny day, tourists can enjoy a nice meal in the docklands area in a variety of restaurants and bars and then a nice riverside walk. I was literally impressed by the hidden treasures, like hideouts from the crowd kind of places. Katherine’s Docks even had Starbucks, Zizzi, Mala Indian Restaurant, Strada, Cote, and The Ivory Vaults to name a few of the mouth-watering restaurants in the area. Guess what they also had a Tesco Express (small stores) for your day-to-day grocery needs.

On your left-hand side while walking in St Katherine Dock you will see The Dickens Inn. The Dickens Inn is a restored pub and restaurant. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to go inside and have some lunch or drink, but I am sure next time I will come by and will surely enjoy a nice drink here. The building looked fabulous with nice flowers and atmosphere around. It was a treat looking at it, like a nice hidden relaxing place to chill. I would seriously recommend tourists to come and enjoy lunch and some relaxing time at St Katherine’s Dock when you are around the Tower Bridge area.

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Delhi to London Air India Flight A111

Published on 14 April 2014

Blog/Flight

I travelled to London almost after 1 year. I always would go to online travel agent’s websites and book the cheapest flights(Indian thing:)). This time I took Delhi to London Air India flight A111. Travelling from Air India flights for quite a while, the reason being the cheapest flight to London was Air India and Jet Airways had been expensive. As far as I remember I had decent experience travelling with this airline in the past. The food has been good, the service was decent too in the past. This time it was slightly different, or I should rather say, I was not satisfied with the service I was offered and experienced on Air India Flight A111.

Last year I visited London in May-June 2013 and used Emirates Air Line. This time Air India flight was supposed to take off by 2.05 pm, but it took more than expected time to even get pulled out from the airport to the runway. we started moving at 2.45 pm.

Delhi to London Air India In-flight Service

Now comes the service inside the plane. I opted for a vegetarian menu this time (even though I am not a strict vegetarian) The food was average, the reason being, we were not offered any bread and only rice with one dal and vegetable dish is not what you will expect for a price you pay for the travel.

After Lunch meal service

After lunch, I asked for some tea and water service, but absolutely no one came back to me and I waited for more than 30 mins. Then I saw old people gathering around the kitchen area at the back of the plane, and I went there to see to my surprise that they all were taking off the juices and peanuts from the boxes, without any restrictions. I don’t know how to say this but all in all, I didn’t like the way the travellers were offered the drinks and the service was not up to the standards. There were no air hostesses interfering with what the other passengers doing by themselves in the pantry area.

Emirates on the other hand, with which I have travelled a lot is much better than Air India recently. The Air hostesses are much nicer, and the service is top-class. There is a long way for Air India to reach the benchmark 5-star airlines have set.

I personally cannot suggest that Air India is bad. All I am sharing above is what I saw in the aircraft while I was aboard. In case you have had a bad experience, I am more than happy to hear your views. You can either comment or directly reach out to us from the contact us page.

Check out our Delhi to London tour package page for you to place your travel from Delhi to London.

London Crowned Most Popular Travel Destination in the World 2014

Published on 12 April 2014

London News

Good News London fans. London overtook Paris as the most visited city in the world in 2014. It gives me great pleasure to write about it and inform all as confirmed on 16 Jan 2014 in the Evening Standard Newspaper and originally from the Office of National Statistics. Surely London has been a great and very welcoming tourist city in the world, and finally, it did get to the place where it belongs at the top. The credit goes to the London Olympics and summers in 2012-13 and this created an influx of tourists, estimated to be 4.9 million visitors from July. Sept 2013. The city enjoyed a 19% increase in the number of travellers as compared to 2012. This tourist influx broke the record of 4.7 million visitors to London in 2006 and broke all records by receiving the highest number of tourist visits than any other city in the world. This makes London a true city made for tourists and places to see which will make your tour to London a memorable one.

There were many reasons why London had a high number of tourists coming. The biggest of them all was the London Olympics and then the long summers, summer sports and many other attractions made the city house packed last summer. London overtook Paris to become the most visited city in the world by tourists. The best bit about visiting London is, that accommodates

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well to all types of tourists and visitors. Whether you are a business holidaymaker, on a family tour, honeymoon tour, or visiting London with family, it is clear that London will surely give you great experiences and memories. So, what are your plans to visit London? Check out our London Tours section to book your London tour package with us. Hope you are not looking for many reasons now as to why visiting London is such a joy.

Christmas in London 2013

Published on 12 April 2014

Attraction/Night Life

Christmas is a celebration which is to some extent celebrated in every part of the world. And it’s a celebration of lights, gifting, and having a nice comfy dinner with family on the Christmas eve. Celebrating Christmas in London is alone a memorable experience. The other thing which is very famous about celebrating Christmas in London is, that the shopping by locals and tourists is at full swing. You can find huge bargains in all shops and multi-story chains. People spend for gifting people and for themselves too, as the best time to do loads of shopping is this season, which starts from first week of November and lasts till first week of January.

Harrods the luxury department store famed for its iconic Christmas window display

The famous shopping areas of London are surely is central London also known as zone 1. Oxford street, Carnaby street, Regents street, Piccadilly circus, Tottenham court road. all these areas get full and packed with shoppers from all around the world. London is also know the best shopping destination of Europe. And there are famous chain stores from luxury brands like Burberry, French Connection, Apple, Banana Republic to name few.

Oxford street is also known for its window shopping, Selfridges decorates its window most flamboyantly for Christmas. Oxford streets has shops for all types of goods and has something for everyone, from kids to old people. warm coffee at Starbucks, cafe Nero or hearty delight at winter wonderland at Hyde park. You will surely have great time celebrating Christmas in London. Not only this, but you can buy gifts for your friends and family at a reasonably priced offers running by many high street stores like John Lewis, BHS, Debenhams, Primark, Marks and Spencers etc.

Miss you london

Published on 12 April 2014

Blog

This might sound a bit too emotional of a grief. But it’s a fact that I miss London a lot. I have special memories going back 5 years when I celebrated my Christmas and New Year with my friends. I Miss you London and it’s a fact, knowing that this city is one of the best cities to live in the world. The magic of Christmas is truly reflected in TV ads, the shopping craze, the hustling and bustling of people, running for last-minute deals, holiday atmosphere in retail outlets as well as offices. I remember very well I did loads of unnecessary shopping and surely spent a bit more than what I was willing to spend. Well at the end of the day, it’s the time of the year when people do love spending and buying gifts for their loved ones.

Attractions and places I miss in London

For instance, Hyde Park is an awesome hangout place for friends and family alike. You have rides for kids, nice warm mulled wines, yum nuts and crackers, cinnamon coffee and Christmas gifts all around this Winter Wonderland. The biggest attraction which I miss very much is ice skating, I love fooling around and skating on ice. Ice skating brings all age group people together to enjoy the time skating. For some, it’s just another day, but people who have understood the magic of Christmas will know that London has this charismatic feel when it comes to Christmas which cannot be compared to anything else in the world. The whole of central London is shining and alive with Lights and people all around and shopping like anything. The traditional lighting of Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Piccadilly Circus is truly a sign of good times and celebrations. Christmas in London is like a melting pot of British culture.

Memory Lane

I studied in regents business school and I used to travel from east London i.e. from White Chapel Road road 3 times a week to Baker street. I remember very well I used to take the route number 205 bus and it used to take me through the city road, showing me from St.Pancras Renaissance Hotel to the British Library and Great Portland Street. Sometimes I used to take the train when I was getting late for classes. I used to avoid the trains as the trains were expensive as I was living with a limited budget in London. So, if you are living with a limited budget I suggest you take the busses more and make sure you plan your travel properly because roads do get jammed on peak hours like any other metro city in the world. The best part of travelling around London was, that the trains and buses are well connected and you have an organised travel system in London. Having an oyster card is a great boon for people who are regular travellers like people who go to offices, study etc. I had the student oyster, I used to get 30% off on the normal ticket value of the trips. The trip cost from one zone to another differs depending on the traffic, crowd, and importance. For example, zone 1 tickets will be the most expensive ones for travellers from Zone 2 to Zone 3. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in London, and it was indeed a great city to live in. I liked travelling around Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street, and Convent Garden. If I ever go to London again, I am sure I will go to these places again. Have so many fond memories of these places. Also, I love shopping in London.

If you have any fond memories of London, don’t hesitate to share/comment on this post. 🙂

New Year Celebrations in London 2014

Published on 12 April 2014

Attraction/Blog/Entertainment/Night Life/Shopping

Winters in Europe are like sitting inside a freezer literally. I celebrated my 4 new years in London from 2006 to 2010. And all those years I enjoyed my time staying in London. I really enjoy shopping in London, there is a clear reason why the discounts you get on the high street and the sheer number of people who turn up for these discounts is staggering. New Year brings a lot of new opportunities and happiness to London. The year-end sale, the warmth of mulled wine, and the shopping fiesta all sum up a great New Year Celebration in London.

: Harrods the luxury department store famed for its iconic Christmas window display

New Year Celebration is like ones in a year celebration, which is together with Christmas celebrated. The atmosphere changes all around when December arrives, huge shopping discounts all around, and retail business gets active for all-time high year-end sales. The decorations for Christmas and New Year are simply breathtaking around London.

New Year Celebrations 2014

The celebrations start with Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and then the whole of Oxford Street is lit with the old tradition of lights. On New Year’s eve, there are special arrangements around the city. Spectators from around the world line up to celebrate New Year near Trafalgar Square, Near London Eye, to see the Fireworks unfold in front of them. The number of people visiting this place on the 31st night is huge and everyone enjoys the midnight music, food, and firecrackers. This year 2013, the firecrackers were awesome, and I and my friends had a ball, as we got pretty close to the London Eye, and did get a chance to see the firecrackers. It was a great start to New Year 2014 watching firecrackers and being with friends and family. It’s ones in a lifetime spectacle to see the great colourful fireworks. Must see and visit for all London lovers.

Your personal London travel guide

Akhil Gupta

Roman London

Victorian London

Bonham’s Classic Car Auction at RAF Museum