London in painting

The arts in Britain are flourishing, and present a varied and lively picture. London has become an international forum of the arts, with major exhibitions of painting and sculpture and the­atre, opera and ballet companies and orchestras drawing large audiences. Throughout Britain there are festivals and centres of artistic activity - among them the Edinburgh International Festival, the music festivals at Aldeburgh, Windsor and Chel­tenham and opera at Glyndebourne.

The spread of musical interest in Britain owes much to the British Broadcasting Corporation with its daily music programme and its partial financing of the Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

There are over 900 museums and art galleries in Britain and art exhibitions are shown all over the country through the Arts Council, which distributes government grants for music, drama, painting and sculpture. Local authorities play an important part in encouraging the arts, supporting galleries, orchestras and arts centres - an example is the ambitious Midlands Art Centre for young people in Birmingham.

British artists, writers, musicians and architects exert a po­werful influence abroad. Notable figures include sculptors Henry Moore and Anthony Caro, painters Francis Bacon and Graham Sutherland and, among younger artists, Richard Smith, winner of a major international prize in 1967, Richard Hamilton, who painted the first "pop" picture, and Bridget Riley, internationally known artist whose work has also inspired fashion.

British music owes'much to the composer Benjamin Britten, whose influence has produced a new school of British opera. In architecture the work of Sir Basil Spence (Coventry Cathedral, Sussex University) and the collective work of modern British architects in housing and town planning are outstanding.

Literature presents great diversity . Poetry has received fresh stimulus from regional movements including the Liverpool poets, who write for public performance. Among novelists of worldwide reputation are Graham Greene, Angus Wilson, Wil­liam Golding, Iris Murdoch and Muriel Spark.

Places of interest in London

If you want to feel you've 'arrived' the first day then here's some ideas for a walk from Westminster, the heart of London. How many films have you seen showing Westminster from Westminster Bridge? Well get a photo from there first, send one back to your friends on your mobile. Stare at Big Ben for that feeling of having 'arrived'. Zoom in now and wander past Westminster Abbey up Whitehall and take a peek at 10 Downing Street (through bars!). Keep an eye open for the Horse Guards, especially if you're there at 4pm and see the dismounting ceremony. Next into Trafalgar Square where Lord Nelson dominates the scene. Here we have the National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields Church. Hop on now to Leicester Square, the home of theatres and cinemas, down to Piccadilly Circus which has become somewhat seedy and then continue on through Soho up Shaftesbury Ave.

 Westminster Abbey where all our monarchs are crowned and buried, at least since 1066. The acoustics are brilliant - watch out for an organ recitals and such like. Houses of Parliament and Big Ben The seat of ruling can be viewed by all!. You can visit both the Commons and the Lords. There are tours in high season if you're interested call 020 7344 9966 If you have time then the Cabinet War Rooms are worth looking at. This was the underground HQ of our fight against the Nazis 1939 - 1945. Some things have not been changed since the end of the war. 

Spanning the River Thames in the heart of London, London Bridge is surrounded by royal haunts and medieval churches that have attracted visitors such as William Shakespeare. During your exploration of the area, you can catch one of Shakespeare's plays in a round theater or explore the world of abstract art next door. And because London Bridge is also the site and name of a rail station, it's a convenient launching point for exploring the rest of the city.

 Downing Street. Number 10 is where it all happens but you'll have to be satisfied with peeking through the railings. Gone are the days when you could stand outside and admire the door knocker! While on Whitehall you may as well stop and see Horse Guards. At their most interesting at 11am when inspection takes place and again at 4pm when their have their dismounting ceremony (when do they get to go to the loo?!). Trafalgar Square. Another place where you can feel you have 'arrived' Lord Nelson dominating this large open space at the top of his huge column. Pigeons no longer abound but I suppose we'll get used to that. This is one of 'the places' to be on New Years Eve - if you like cuddling perfect strangers that is!
National Gallery is a must if you like art at all. Host our best collection of paintings - Turner, van Gogh, Rembrandt to mention just a few. Join the 'quickie' or overview tours at 11.30am or 2.30pm. If you need a lunch break and a bit of peace from the hurly burly of Trafalgar Square then try the free lunch time concerts here to St Martin-in-the-Fields- Built in the 1720's and famous for its concerts. on Mon.Tue or Friday at 1.05. 
 Piccadilly Circus. They say that if you sit in Piccadilly long enough you'll see everyone you ever knew. Soho - well, what can we say. Take a look, it's amusing, titillating, seedy. It's Soho. Careful not to get done if you go into any of the shows, it may be more expensive than you bargained for. Covent Garden. Cornucopia or what? shopping, eating and off-the-cuff performances to name but a few. Just go, enjoy the flavour.

 Buckingham Palace. What can one say - this is home. If you want a visit you can do it in August and Sept. . It's very popular so save time and book. Changing of the Guard. This can be seen at 11.30am April to August and every even numbered day 'off season'. You could see the Royal Mews while in the vicinity. This is the Queen's stables and is in daily use. You can see the wonderful coaches too.
 Hyde Park. Acres and acres of greenery with a man-made lake to boot. The merest hint of sunshine and we're out there stripping down as far as we dare!

 Madame Tussauds Waxworks. A load of fun once you get in. 
 Wren's most famous church is St Paul's Cathedral. The cathedral where the wedding of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana took place in 1981. See the crypt, anybody who's anybody's there! Have a spooky time in the whispering gallery at the top of the dome. At 1pm every day you can hear Great Paul, the largest swinging bell in Europe, being rung for five minutes. If you climb the Golden Gallery you will have a fine view of London. St Paul's was first built in 604 but burned down (it was made of wood) a few times. <\p>

From the history of London

The history of London is a long and colourful one. From its ancient roots, its kings and its conquests, its rapid growth and splendour during its zenith as capital of the British Empire, and its modern day status as one of the world's leading financial and cultural capitals, London is a city of character, of courage and above all of perpetual change.

It is thought that London first started to grow as an important settlement when the Romans arrived in around 43 AD. Prior to this, there were some smaller settlements that were soon swallowed up by the might of the Roman army. Plenty of turbulent times were to come for London, with invasions and power struggles over the years. After the Romans left, the Anglo-Saxons came and were repeatedly attacked by Vikings who came from Scandinavian countries.

In Norman times, London became the firm favourite as a centre of commerce and a capital city following the construction of Westminster and this was set to stay for good after William the Conqueror built the Tower of London following his victory in 1066. Slaves were brought over to England from Africa during Tudor times, from 1485 – 1603. At the same time, Jews and Muslims as well as Dutch Traders had also begun to arrive and settle in London. These arrivals sowed the seed for London’s diversity that can be seen today.

During the 1800’s, the slave trade had been abolished and London’s black communities had grown considerably. More people came from south Asian areas and China. The Jewish population continued to grow as people fled persecution in Eastern Europe. By the time World War II started, even more people came to fill job vacancies from The West Indies, Europe and India. People from the West Indies or the Caribbean were especially in demand and found essential employment on the London Underground railway system whilst Asians found work in the textiles industry.

Today, London has continued to grow both in terms of size and in terms of diversity. Londoners have a firm reputation for being tolerant and accepting, and for providing a haven for people who have been persecuted in their own countries. London has really benefitted from having a melting pot of nationalities, especially when there has been a shortage of workers which happened following 1945 when World War II ended.

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
— Samuel Johnson

Boswell and Johnson were discussing whether or not Boswell's affection for London would wear thin should he choose to live there, as opposed to the zest he felt on his occasional visits. (Boswell lived in Scotland, and visited only periodically. Some people are surprised to learn that Boswell and Johnson were far from inseparable over the last twenty years of Johnson's life, the period Boswell knew him.)

This discussion happened on September 20, 1777, and Johnson, someone who hated to spend time alone, was always going out and enjoying what London had to offer.