| I love London, it is my kind of town. | | | | recent years was held shortly after the |
| Now I know that to most people this | | | | awful events of 911 when instead of |
| would sound as if I am plagiarising some | | | | playing God Save the Queen the band of |
| advertising copy for either New York or | | | | the Guards performed what turned out to |
| Chicago but in this case I truly mean | | | | be quite an emotional performance |
| it. | | | | (certainly for those visiting American |
| I have lived AND worked in London for | | | | tourists in the audience) of the Star |
| well over 30 years and I have seen | | | | Spangled Banner, the national anthem of |
| everything come and go, good times and | | | | the United States of America. |
| bad times. | | | | Perhaps the significance of this passed |
| From the bad old days and the darkest | | | | most of the on looking tourist by but it |
| hours of the terrorist bombing campaigns | | | | was a first in living memory that any |
| of the Provisional IRA in the 70's and | | | | other national anthem other than the |
| 80's to the good times when the | | | | United Kingdoms own God Save the Queen |
| announcement was made that London had | | | | had been performed at the Changing of |
| been awarded the 2012 Olympics and the | | | | the Guards ceremony. |
| Queens Jubilee. London has seen it all | | | | Perhaps it is little incidences like |
| and treats both with the same respect. | | | | these that sum up exactly what a rich |
| I remember travelling through London to | | | | cornucopia of the historic and modern, |
| return home to Northern Ireland where I | | | | the city of London actually is. Unlike |
| now live on the day the news broke that | | | | other major international capital |
| Princess Diana had tragically been | | | | cities, London may lack perhaps the |
| killed in a car accident in Paris and | | | | historic grandeur of the Parthenon in |
| the sense of grief and shock were | | | | Athens or the Coliseum in Rome but |
| overwhelming as total strangers just | | | | through out London you will find |
| blindly made their way to Kensington | | | | examples of perhaps a more modern |
| Palace to lay flowers at the peoples | | | | architecture (though no less splendid |
| memorial. Then at the other end of the | | | | and impressive) such as the mother of |
| spectrum you have London the day of the | | | | all parliaments, the Houses of |
| "Live 8" Festival in Hyde Park where the | | | | Parliament in Westminster or the |
| city centre was brought to a standstill | | | | serenity of St Paul's Cathedral a |
| with blaring rock music belting out | | | | survivor of many centuries and in many |
| across the entire City Centre. | | | | ways every bit as impressive now as in |
| There is so much history in London, real | | | | the days of its design under the |
| live, vibrant living history in London | | | | architect Sir Christopher Wren. |
| that sometimes when you live there it | | | | If nothing else the building of St |
| just passes you by and you take | | | | Paul's Cathedral is a testament to |
| everything for granted. | | | | survival itself having both survived the |
| Take the changing of the guard for | | | | Great Fire of London in the 16th Century |
| instance. This happens everyday at Betty | | | | and then four hundred years later the |
| and Phil's place at the end of the mall. | | | | Blitz in World War II. |
| OK I should be slightly less flippant. I | | | | Perhaps this encompasses the overall |
| am of course referring to Buckingham | | | | appeal of London, the historic blend of |
| Palace, home of Queen Elizabeth II and | | | | the old and the new. |
| Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh found | | | | Come and visit London, it won't |
| at the end of the Mall. Perhaps the most | | | | disappoint. |
| notable of the Changing of the Guards in | | | | |