Londoners love... recommendations from people
who know
Win a personalised Monopoly set or a book (100 to give away) recommend your favourite bit of London
I
just love going through Mitcham Common at any season of the year. It is London's
only uncultivated common and looks beautiful in any weather. On the edge
of the common is a wonderful duck pond, and it is a breeding ground for many
rare species of insects and other wildlife. Maddie Turner from London.
I
do not have one particular favourite part of London, but a number of
favourite areas, these areas being favourites for different reasons. Regents
Park is an area of open space I like very much with a lot going for it.
Not only is there a very pleasant open space to enjoy, but, there is a
golf and tennis school there, I have personally made very good use of
the golf school as I can do a small detour on my way home from work and practice
my
swing, chipping and putting in the practice area there ( essential to all
us
golf addicts). Very close by is the Regents canal, a lovely walk can be had
along the towpath, the canal itself is host to a large number of
recreational activities such as boating, canoeing and fishing, the fishing
can be particularly good along this stretch of the canal.
I was surprised in the other notes that Hampstead heath was barely
mentioned, a firm favourite with me since my school days when I spent many
hours fishing the ponds there with my old school friend. Again Hampstead
heath is host to a wide range of leisure activities such as fishing,
swimming in the ponds or open air pool ( the lido), model boating (one
pond
dedicated to this), cycling ( plenty cycle paths), kite flying on
parliament
hill, tennis, cricket and bird watching. Hampstead Heath and parliament
hill
fields are well worth a visit.
Another hidden gem in London is Queen Square in Bloomsbury. It is a very
peaceful oasis just off Southampton Row accessed by a little lane way. The square
itself is all but surrounded by hospitals mostly consisting of the
National Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery, the National Homeopathic
Hospital on the corner and just around the corner is Great Ormand Street
children's hospital. Many of the hospitals patients enjoy a bit of time in
the square in the good weather (beats being in hospital).
These are just some of my favourite London areas.Frank Murray from London.
I
love The Barbican. I lived there for
two years whilst studying and it was just fantastic. Where else can you
say your locals are the LSO and the RSC? (The RSC
should move back to the Barbican as its home).
You have everything - theatres, music, cinemas, art galleries, museums,
restaurants, cafes, gardens, shops, gym, library, hairdressers, beauty
salon - on your doorstep.
And if you need to get away, the tube's just there to take you. Raquel
Moss from Gibraltar
My favourite place in London is the Family Records Centre in Islington. On the ground floor are the hundreds of index books of births, marriages and deaths since 1837, and the place is always full of people of all ages searching for their long lost ancestors, heaving one huge volume after another off the shelves. Frowns of concentration turn into wide grins or a triumphant mutter of 'Yes!' when an elusive ancestor is finally found! On the first floor, the atmosphere is hushed, and the lighting dimmed for the dozens of microfilm and microfiche readers where again people search through census records in the hope of finding that missing branch of their family tree. Although everyone there is involved in their own personal search, there is still a sense of togetherness since everyone there is involved in the same fascinating hobby of family history. Did I say hobby? It may start like that - but it soon develops into an obsession! Pauline from Manchester
One of my favourites is Borough High Street, which is rich in history and character, where rogues mingle cheek by jowl with City types and tourists. Where else could you find a nest of thieves (Borough Market), literary history (The George Inn) and high church (Southwark Cathedral) so close together? Jonathan Price from London
Chelsea
to me is a very special part of London, probably as I lived in it for 28
years and found it to be very much a village although just a few minutes
walk from the Kings Road and Sloane Square. The Kings Road is full of trendy
and nowdays smart shops with a totally renovated Peter Jones looking as though
it is in the middle of Manhatten. Just off the side streets you have
the Royal Hospital where the Chelsea Pensioners live and walk around Chelsea
sporting their fine red uniforms on special historic days. The Physic Garden
on Royal Hospital Road is one of the oldest herb gardens in the country and
set up for the medical profession by Hans Sloane, and of course Sloane Street
and Square are named after him. To the North of the Kings Road there is a
wonderful little village which we call "Chelsea Green", which the
old locals tell me used to be "Chelsea Common" before Chelsea
got "posh", which has numerous little shops including Jane Asher's
cake shop and a village green in the middle where the goats used to be tethered
- not that long ago, but before my time. Chelsea really is a little bit of
old London with its lovely ancient pubs, houses and atmosphere. Monica
Barrington, owner Uptown Reservations, from London
Do you have a your favourite bit of London? You could win a personalised Monopoly set or one of 100 books
