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