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A cheat sheet for newbies who want to begin their London adventure in full swing Joining our Kingdom in London? 1 For those that go the extra mile We know moving to another country is a life changing decision. That’s why we’ve gathered everything essential in this easy-to-read guide for you, so you don’t have to. This way you can enjoy your time fully when you get there – like digging into a proper fish & chips at the local pub after a game of football, watching EastEnders or hunting for that blue door in Notting Hill. Yes, there are lots of things to do in London, and we want to be there for you! Whether you’d like help finding the right visa or need inspiration for places to eat, live and sleep – King is at hand. 2 Contents A place for everyone and anyone 5 Quintessential London? 7 Out and about 8 Getting around 8 Benefits, vacation and learning how to say stuff in Cockney 11 Where the little monsters go 11 How to keep your health bar full 12 Where you hang your hat 12 In the boroughs 12 Quick guide to some of the most popular areas 14 Ready to play? 15 Five tips before you go 16 London – the bullets 16 Wanna know more? 19 3 4 The city of many greats A place for everyone As a city, London has been around forever. Some findings go back to the Bronze Age, but the first major and anyone settlement was founded by the Romans in 43 AD. From then on London has been held by many different The Big Smoke, the Swinging City or just London. powers up until the 11th century, when, firstly, the Whatever you choose to call it, you most certainly population grew rapidly and, secondly, William the already know a great deal about this city, made famous Duke of Normandy was crowned King of England by romcoms like Notting Hill, Love Actually or Bridget following his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Jones’ Diary and songs like the Kink’s Waterloo Sunset Westminster Abbey dates back to this era and over the and The Clash’s London Calling. Or classics such as next coming hundred years many institutions of central Charles Dickens’ The Adventures of Oliver Twist or Sir government were built close by to it, like 10 Downing Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The list goes Street and Palace of Westminster with Houses of on forever and ever. If you’ve never seen, heard or read, Parliament and the iconic landmark Elizabeth Tower or well, then you are in for a treat. Like a basket full of more famously known as Big Ben. magic beans! The growth in population – 18.000 in 1100 and nearly Finding your sanctuary in a global hub 100.000 in 1300 – influenced the city a great deal London, the capital of England and the UK, is a but would also call for disaster as the Black Death hit leading global and financial city with strengths in the London in the 14th century, taking nearly a third of the arts, commerce, research and development as well as population. Even though London continued to grow, tourism and transport. More than 100 of Europe´s 500 the city encountered several other crises, with the most largest companies have their HQ here. But London is famous disasters being cholera epidemics, the Second not only the home of great companies like King and World War and the terrible year of 1666 with both the eight million people, the hub also attracts over 14 Great Plague and the Great Fire. But still, London rose million visitors a year, being one of the world’s most again and again. The city was even the world’s largest visited cities. And with its 43 universities, it forms the city between 1831 and 1925. largest concentration of higher education in Europe. Another ‘great’ event – from which London has received Being a truly multi-cultural and a generally exciting its nickname – was the Great Smog in 1952, which left place, people move to the UK’s capital from all over the city covered in a thick layer of smog for four days the world. So, as a newbie in the city you are definitely due to no wind and collected airborne pollutants. It was not alone and you won’t be a newbie for long. Neither crazy smoggy, like after a Pepper Panic explosion! will it be too long until you find your own sanctuary in this bustling city because, despite its size, London While Greater London’s population actually decreased has remained quite a pleasant place to live thanks between 1939 and the 80’s, this period has left a huge to its many green spaces. You’ll also be able to find impression on the world – especially youth culture with your own crowd here as London’s vibrant arts and movements like Swinging London and the punk era. entertainment scene caters to all tastes: classical and And today, well today London is one of the global cities, popular, mainstream and fringe, retro and avant-garde. influencing the world greatly. Needless to say, London is every shopper´s paradise and a party animal’s dream. 5 6 alterations of old slogans or phrases, such as ‘The Bag Quintessential London? o’Nails’ (Bacchanals), ‘The Goat and Compasses’ (God Encompasseth Us), ‘The Cat and the Fiddle’ London and England has truly influenced the world to (Caton Fidèle) and ‘The Bull and Bush’, which the point that you can find English pubs worldwide – supposedly celebrates the victory of Henry VIII at almost to the extent that you sometimes wonder what “Boulogne Bouche” or Boulogne-sur-Mer Harbour. actually is quintessentially British. Although a tired cliché, football and pubs is an important part of the Here’s some other classic British things British culture along with some other things you’ll find in • Afternoon tea – a break in the afternoon the list below. accompanied by tea and scones with clotted cream and jam. The tea can also be served with Football tiny sandwiches stuffed with ingredients, such as This is undoubtedly one of the most important parts cucumber, egg and cress, fish paste, ham and of the British culture and one of the best conversation smoked salmon. Good to remember is that you have starters… if you desire a conversation that never ends. your tea with milk in England. If you want to become Traditionally, you would support the team from the an expert, read ISO 3103, which describes a borough where you grew up, but as the city is in a standardized brewing method. constant flux, with people moving around, this is not true these days. You could easily find a supporter of • Beefeaters – the Yeomen Warders (guardians) of one team in the ‘wrong’ borough. With that said, the Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower London teams currently in Premier League – the number of London. The origin of the nickname has been one league in England – and their respective areas are debated, but the favourite is that it could have Arsenal (Holloway), Chelsea (Chelsea), Crystal Palace something to do with beef consumption. (South Norwood), Tottenham Hotspur (Tottenham) and West Ham United (Upton Park). • Borough Market – this famous food market in Southwark, one of the largest and oldest markets in We highly recommend going for a Saturday afternoon London, glimpses by in Lock Stock and Two Smoking game, whether you do or don’t enjoy football, just to Barrels and Bridget Jones’ Diary. experience this cornerstone of British culture. And if you want to take it to the next level, then you should go to • Cockney – most famous as a type of accent/dialect the local pub just before, and after, the game. It goes but also used to describe the people living around hand in hand. Cheers! East End, or all working-class Londoners. These days the dialect is merging with other dialects, such as the Pubs Jamaican Creole influenced variety. Apart from double-decker buses and black cabs, London is known for its numerous pubs (short for • EastEnders – the long-running soap opera that aired public house). These drinking establishments serve as its first episode in 1985. It’s so popular that it can a third living room and are often the meeting place for be noticed in the national electricity grid as power communities such as villages or even a borough. If you demand rises drastically when all viewers leave their are lucky, your local pub will not only have real ales, but TV sofas to do other things, like boiling tea water. a real barfly (someone who has spent most of their life on the same old chair in the pub) as well. • Grenadier Guard – the soldier with the funny high – and furry – hat that you see around public places Like anything you’ll be able to find pubs of varying such as the Buckingham Palace. quality throughout London – including everything from a traditional pub, with beer-soaked carpets, serving • Fish & Chips – battered cod or haddock served with alcohol and snacks to a gastro pub serving fine deep-fried chips. reinventions of the classic pub grubs. If you go to one, you should try any of these dishes: shepherd’s pie, fish • Pimm’s – liquor used to mix cocktails of fruits, soda & chips, bangers & mash, steak & ale pie, Sunday and lemonade. Perfect for a garden party on a hot roast and of course one of the many variations of summer afternoon.