Living In London – People and Personalities - Image via Wikipedia
While you’re living in London and indeed even in your own country, you notice people and services that have been influenced, aided and developed by one of the most famous Londoner’s of all time. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that an entire part of our entertainment today has been influenced by this man. Without him, we’d have no CSI, no Law and Order, no 24, and very possibly we’d never have seen Don Johnson starring in Miami Vice in the 1980’s. Okay the last one probably isn’t a huge loss, but the modern police force and investigation techniques are the work of one outstanding man: Sir Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel
With a diverse background and a myriad of interests this man is the founder of the Metropolitan police Force and Prime Minister of England bringing about great social reforms in working conditions, industry and prisons. Born in 1788, this great Londoner has had a far reaching effect on the modern police force across the globe, as well as being active in politics and social reform until his death in 1850. A statue stands in Parliament Square right outside the Palace of Westminster.
Peel helped create the modern police force and to this day, London uniformed police officers are known as “Bobbies” as a tribute to Sir Robert. The other less affectionate term is “Peelers”, but unless you’re on the other side of the law, you’ll only ever see them as Bobbies on the Beat, patrolling the streets of London in their unique uniform and proudly acting as ambassadors for their city and their country.
One of the most important aspects of the police reform that Sir Robert placed into action concerned the ethics of behavior and investigation. This was the forerunner of the exacting standards in forensic investigation that have to be used before a person can be arrested of a crime. “The police are the public and the public are the police”, Sir Robert was fond of saying.
As a politician, Sir Robert Peel is most famous for his Factory Act. This Act of Parliament cam down strongly against wealthy industrialists who had made their fortunes on the backs of children and sweat shops. The Act regulated the amount of hours that children could work, and introduced the first basic machinery safety standards. In his second term in office as Prime Minister, he repealed the Corn Laws which protected the landowners by restricting foreign imports. Despite knowing that it could bring about the end of his political career, Peel forged ahead and broke the monopoly that had been one of the causes of the Irish Famine.
To be a police officer during the time of Sir Robert was an exacting position and required you to wear your uniform both on and off duty. London police were equipped with a wooden baton, a pair of handcuffs and a wooden rattle to raise an alarm if need be. The rattle was later replaced by a whistle.
To this day, uniformed police officers are not armed in the United Kingdom, which is a testament to the respect that many people have for the police force. His legacy will remain for as long as there are Bobbies on the beat, fighting crime and helping you back to your new London apartment after you’ve lost your way. Go on I dare you, just ask a Bobby for directions and you’ll see how friendly and professional they are.
Living In London – Weekend Away - Image via Flickr
You cannot escape the history of this city if you’re going to be living in London. It is all around you. From the earliest examples of the Roman wall built two thousand years ago to the buildings that still remain from before the Great Fire of London. The massive fire that wiped out large areas of London during 1666 was not all bad for London. The fire had the effect of being able to wipe out much of the scourge that that swept across Europe for hundreds of years: The Black Death.
“A ring, a ring of roses, a pocketful of posies, a tissue, a tissue, we all fall down!”
A childhood nursery rhyme with sinister origins, while this has not been attributed directly to the Black Death, it is the most commonly accepted origin of the rhyme. Sung today by millions of children, they do not know the devastation that preceded this little ditty.
The reference to the roses is based on the rashes that appeared on the body of a person with the Bubonic plague, and the sneezing is the flue like symptoms that follow. Falling down? Well, that is death…The Black Death.
The Black Death does not just cover one period of history in the world. There have been instances bubonic plague recorded right back to the 7th century. The largest recorded epidemic was in Europe and started in the 14th century. At different time it was under control, but would always break out again in different cities and countries until the 18th century. It has been called by many different names across different countries and eras. In London it was known as the Great Plague of London and reached it height and end during the year 1666, as a result of the fire that burned most of the city.
The Black Death reached Europe in 1340 on Italian boats that were from the east. It is said to have originated in china and was carried to Europe on the fleas which were in turn carried on the rats that were found on many of the merchant ships sailing from the East.
How do you know if you’ve caught the Black Death?
There is no point in getting alarmed, there are very few modern cases of bubonic plague, but if you do develop any of these symptoms, you should probably get to a hospital sharpish!
The appearance of a rash, possibly caused by flea bites, is the first sign, and very soon after that there are swellings that develop under the armpits, in the groin area and on the neck. These swelling are filled with pus and they spread rapidly across the body. After that there is the appearance of black spots all around the infected areas which also spread across the body. Followed by fever, vomiting and death, the entire cycle takes between 5 and 7 days. Pretty grim if you consider the medical care available at the time. Antibiotics had not yet been developed, and there was little that could be done to stop the plague from spreading through the crowded and unsanitary street of London.
The Destruction of Europe and England
During the 14th century the Black Death was responsible for the deaths of nearly 200 million people. Although the plague does not last long, in England it was to keep breaking out for over 400 hundred years. At its height in 1666 it killed over 35 000 people in a few months. This is a direct result of the living conditions at the time. The streets and houses that were close together, sewage that was not disposed of and a host of social ills that affected the city. The overcrowding of London was a huge factor in the rapidly spreading Great Fire of London, which burned the plague out.
There is very little chance of a recurrence of the bubonic plague in modern times, because of the antibiotics and other drugs that have been developed, there have only been a few hundred reported cases of bubonic plague since the end of WWII.
June is here and if you’re living in London that means one thing: Wimbledon. The comfortable sound of racket meeting ball, crowds ‘ooh’-ing and ‘aah’-ing at every desperately won point, champagne and strawberries with cream, and all the drama that comes with a day’s play at centre court. There’s nothing quite like it.
The qualifying rounds take place from the 13th to the 16th of June, with the Championships starting on the 20th of June and finishing on the 3rd of July with the Men’s Final. If you’re a tennis enthusiast, you’ll no doubt want to take advantage of living in London and having the tournament just on your doorstep (relatively speaking). A few things to consider, though:
First of all, there’s not much point in going if you don’t have a seat. Not to worry. Just head on over to the Official Wimbledon site, and you’ll find whatever help you need to go about getting your hands on tickets. You might want to hurry, though, as this is Wimbledon we’re talking about, quite possibly the most anticipated two months in the Professional Tennis Diary, and calling it popular is a bit of an understatement. If you’d like, you can partake in a fun Wimbledon tradition: camping for tickets. It’s a relatively simple exercise: get a few friends, a flask of hot coffee and your sleeping bag and wait outside the Gate 3 turnstiles along with everyone else. Even if you don’t get your hands on tickets, you’ll still have a fun time and if you’re new to living in London, you’ll more than likely make a few new acquaintances.
Next up; getting there. The Wimbledon site very wisely advises using Public Transport wherever possible, and with the options you’ll find living in London, this shouldn’t pose a challenge. Go to your nearest public train station, take a train to Waterloo and from there you can catch a train to Wimbledon station. Alternatively, you’ll find trams running every ten to fifteen minutes at East Croydon Station to Wimbledon Station during weekdays (Monday to Saturday) and every thirty minutes on Sundays. Couldn’t be easier.
As for the Strawberries and Cream; give them a try as they really are quite delicious and law decrees that if you’re at Wimbledon, you are ordered to partake in them, by order of the Queen!
Living in London – Education: It All Comes Out In the Wash!- Image via Wikipedia
If you are an American moving to London and your family is going to be joining you on your adventure then part of your planning is going to be education. Your choice of education for your children will affect which neighborhood of London you choose to live in. The schooling system in England and London especially is divided into districts. You are not allowed to attend a school in another zone or area if you do not live in that area. Notable exceptions are the public schools. (Remember that private schools are known as public schools in England!)
It you have teens that are nearing college age, and are planning on going to college in the States or Canada, then you may find it more beneficial to place your child at a private school that follows a standardized American curriculum. If you have younger children though, then they will benefit from being in an English school where they can meet other children and form friendships within their peer groups.
While there are a number of differences between the system of education in England and America, you’ll find that the similarities are more marked. It said that the English system offers a wider view on the world, and certainly the curriculum is not as narrow as many found in America. There is also a greater degree of specialization when children move into the higher grades at high school.
For the last two years before university a scholar will focus on three main areas of study – A-Levels and will be expected to show a high level of competency in each subject in order to pass. That said, it is also true that the system of education may be more geared towards life skills in Americans schools. Drivers-Ed classes are not taught in English schools!
English schools also tend to use external examinations far more often to achieve the standard of education need to pass a particular grade. In Year 9, this is Grade 8 if you follow the American schooling system, there is a formal examination that is marked externally to ensure that standards are being met across the country.
If you’re moving to London with your family, you’re about to embark on a huge adventure and giving your children the chance to experience a different type of education is possibly the best global experience you can give them.
Living in London – Visa Freedom- Image via Wikipedia
Many people who are moving to London this year will be moving to a pre-arranged job. This means that your employer will take care of the visa details for you and your family. If you are going to be living in London with your partner or spouse it might be wise to check with your employer about making sure that they will be able to work in London for the duration of your stay. There is nothing worse than moving to a foreign country and not being able to get out and meet new people, find a job or open a bank account.
For those people moving to London without the cushion of guaranteed employment, or if you just feel like London is calling to you, then you may find it a little more difficult than you thought to get there. It’s always made easy in the movies; the character packs a backpack and gets on the next plane to Heathrow. In reality it’s quite a bit more complicated than that, and the last thing you want to happen is to be deported for not having the right paperwork, or not to be able to get a job when you arrive in London. Your pounds will soon run out and your dream of living in London could be over sooner than you think.
Visa Freedom.
As an American moving to London you may not find it as easy as you thought to find work in the city if you do not have the right paperwork. Citizens of the European Union and members of the Commonwealth will find it much easier to live and work in London. There are a number of different visas that you can apply for that will allow you to live and work in this magnificent city.
If at all possible, you need to apply for your visa before you leave home. It is an excruciating process to have to apply for visas while you are actually in the city that you want to be in. Have a look through our handy Visa Guide today for more information about the different types of visas and how to make your dreams of living in London come true.
Living in London – Treat Yourself- Image via Wikipedia
Now that you’re living in London and are getting your groceries and takeaways delivered right to your front room, you need to explore the other delicious treats and fancies that you can have delivered with a click of your mouse.
If you’re going to go all out and really splash some cash around then I suggest you do this at least once while you are living in London:
Harrods Online
This has to be the ultimate in food delivery and online shopping. Imagine a whole section just for Foie Gras and Truffles! Fine champagnes, exotic and rare wines and a whole host of hampers that will have you drooling at the deliveryman in his Harrods livery. The poshest hamper is also the most expensive, but if you do feel like treating yourself, and everyone does then ‘The Mayfair’ hamper from Harrods will only set you back £1000.
Over 50 luxury treats sourced from all over the world, and 9 varieties of wine. This is opulence and splendor at its best. We spend a lot of time telling you how to save money while you’re living in London, but just this once we’re going to tell you how to spend, spend, spend! If you’re looking for a taste of London to send back home, then why not try the Harrods ‘Teatime Treat’ hamper which is fully exportable and makes a delicious present for the folks back home. It comes in a Harrods gift box and includes chocolates, shortbreads, jams and English Breakfast Tea. At only £40 excluding delivery it really is a great way to let people know that you’re a real Londoner!
If you’re throwing a party and want to splash out on some gourmet goodies then London Fine Foods is the place to go. They have a range of goodies and meals sourced from Harrods, Fortnum and Mason and other top foodie halls. You can ask them to prepare an intimate evening selection for two or a selection of snack for a cocktail party.
Take some time while you’re living in London to really spoil yourself and make yourself at home.
Living in London – Visa Guides- Image via Wikipedia
If you’re planning on moving to London this year and you don’t have the promise of a job in the city, then you’ll have to organize your own visa which will allow you to live and work in London for a few years. Even if you are being sponsored by your company and transferred to London, you may have to organize a visa for your spouse or partner so that they will have the freedom of the city just like you.
Visa Facts
Most visas will allow you to live and work in England for a period of between 2 – 3 years. Depending on what type of visa you are eligible for, you may be able to apply for an extension at the end of the period. To apply for permanent residency in the United Kingdom, you have to have been living there for 5 years at least.
Sponsored Workers Visa: This is the easiest way to get into England. If you are transferred to a subsidiary of your company then they will handle the visa application for you and there will be no problems with immigration. Be sure to check that they sponsor your partner’s visa and any family members who are coming with you.
Student Visa: If you intend on studying for a degree in the United Kingdom you can apply for a Student Visa that will last the length of your course and give you another four months after your course ends. The United Kingdom works on a ‘points system’ for entry. To qualify for a student visa you need to have at least 40 points on the scoring system. To get the required points you will need a letter of acceptance from the educational institution as well as a letter from the bank stating that you have enough funds to cover the first year of your studies and your living costs.
Other Visas include the Highly Skilled Workers Visa and the Entrepreneurial Visa. These are not easy to get, and you need to have achieve over 75 points to even get a look-in. You’ll also have to have a large sum of money in your bank account for over three months before you make your application.
To make a success of moving to London, you should apply well in advance for your visa and makes sure you have all of the paperwork that they need to process it as fast as possible.
King George VI and his Queen consort, Elizabeth - Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
All righty, time to wrap up my brief series on The King’s Speech for those of you moving to London and interested in learning more of the city’s history, especially with all the media attention it receives lately. Yesterday, I spoke of London locations and elsewhere in the UK of note in the film, and today I’ll focus a bit more on the people.
As I’ve mentioned before, viewing the film for the first time last week prompted assorted random questions in my mind, which I’m in turn answering and sharing in this series of posts. One of these moments of curiosity surrounded how King George VI came to meet his wife. We know her best these days as the Queen Mum, which is the title conferred on a Queen consort who is the widowed mother of the reigning monarch. Thus, Queen consort was her title when her husband was alive and well and reigning as King George VI. Prior to his coronation when he was Prince Albert, Duke of York, she was consequently the Duchess of York. But before even that, she was The Honourable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon – of Scottish nobility but not royalty; indeed, she had been the first commoner to marry into royalty for centuries. She was born to the Scottish Lord Glamis, who eventually became the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, a status that conferred upon young Elizabeth the title of “Lady” and put her within high-ranking social circles. After WWI, she was a sought-after debutante and won Prince Albert’s heart. She was wary of joining the royal way of life, however, apprehensive of giving up a private life to become such a public figure, so she’d actually turned Albert down twice before finally saying “yes” and marrying him in 1923.
How different and yet how the same royal weddings were back then…
I was understandably quite curious about the speech therapist as well – Lionel Logue, who helped King George VI overcome his stammer. The film mentions that he is Australian (born in Adelaide, South Australia), though I hadn’t detected that in his accent – a little research has since taught me that this was a result of his studies in elocution during his youth. His initial employment included assistant-teaching and working at a gold mine, and, once he was married and settled in Perth, he began teaching elocution, acting, and public speaking, then traveled the world and helped WW1 soldiers recover from shell-shock-induced speech afflictions. Believing stammers to be caused by personal trauma rather than any permanent disability, the key ingredients to Logue’s unique method were “humour, patience, and superhuman sympathy” (from Australian Dictionary of Biography, author: Suzanne Edgar). Logue moved to London, England in 1924 and set up shop at 146 Harley Street in the London neighborhood of Paddington, near Regents Park.
If you’re relocating to London, once you’re all settled into your new London apartment rental, take yourself out on your own King’s Speech field-trip out and about town. Walk the streets its people walked, understand the lives they lived, and feel appreciative of the new history you’ll create here as you find your own voice in London.
Living in London – Click Your Mouse To Ring Your Doorbell- Image via Wikipedia
If you’re living in London there are a million reasons to get your groceries delivered, and you can use these handy excuses for the folks back home when they ask you why you don’t go grocery shopping any more:
“It was past midnight and we’d run out of wine.”
“We work really hard in London and don’t have time for shopping.”
“The shops are closed on Sunday evenings, and we really fancied a roast.”
“Ever tried heaving your shopping home on the tube?”
You don’t even need an excuse to tap into the magnificent home delivery network that most of the grocery stores operate in London. Remember that the closer to central London you live, the smaller the grocery stores get. Living in London means that you’ll have to forego your usual Mall shopping experience, but when you have the internet at home then the world is your Mall!
Sainsbury’s is a massive grocery chain in the United Kingdom and they offer delivery right to your door. As soon as you sign up on the site, enter your postcode and book your delivery time. The price of home delivery from Sainsbury’s will usually depend on the time that you request and how much you buy from them. You can get everything from Sainsbury’s online and they guarantee freshness and a prompt delivery. Even for those late night munchies!
It’s not just grocery shopping you can do online. Instead of popping across the street to get a take away (take out) in the middle of winter, you can order online and have a piping hot pizza or curry delivered straight to your door. You should consider using one of the bigger delivery firms that offer takeaways from different restaurants. Hungry House and Just-Eat.co.uk offer menus that correspond to your postcode. That just goes to show you how important it really is, and you can order from up to three different restaurants in the same order.
The great aspect of doing it through the larger sites is that you can indeed order alcohol after hours, and nothing goes down better than a beer with your extra hot chicken tikka masala!
King George VI, the real man behind the microphone of The King's Speech. Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
Planning a move to London should make anyone curious about the history of this city and its country, especially since it’s not something simply relegated to memory—when you visit or live in London, you literally see history before your eyes in the sites that have survived time. This being said, it’s time for another installment of the things that made me go hmm…upon recently viewing the Oscar-winning The King’s Speech. With all the acclaim surrounding this film, you’d be surprised how much it can inform you on your future place of residence.
Last week, I discussed the King George VI’s name before/after coronation, King Edward VIII’s abdication of the throne, the Church of England’s stance on marriage and divorce, and Winston Churchill‘s political roles during this particular king’s reign.
Let’s start today with that Wembley broadcast. My ears perked up on this one because, on first relocating to London, I substitute-taught near Wembley Stadium. A northwest suburb of London, Wembley isn’t much of a draw in itself (in my personal opinion), except for its modern-day stadium that does bring in the crowds. Recently, it hosted the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United, and it is also holds annual NFL games to give England a dose of American football! It will likewise house some of the 2012 Olympic Games. From the London Eye, you can easily spot it in the distance—sorta looks like the St. Louis Arch keeling over a bit. This stadium has been open only since 2007, though, on the site where the original Empire Stadium stood since 1923. Featuring two distinctive twin towers, the Empire Stadium was where King George V was first ever broadcast in 1924 at the British Empire Exhibition. His eldest son Edward, then Prince of Wales, had done a fine job speaking there as well. The film, however, starts us with the broadcast of 1925, when Prince Albert (“Bertie,” indeed named after Queen Victoria‘s husband Albert, his great-grandfather) had his publicly mortifying go at it. According to the BBC archives, a curator at the British Library claims “this speech almost certainly does not exist in recorded form.”
I was likewise curious about where the King lived before and after his coronation. The first regal looking home in which he, the future Queen Mum, and their young daughters Elizabeth and Margaret reside in the film is supposed to be located at 145 Piccadilly. On coronation, as is tradition, King George VI and his family moved into Buckingham Palace, though spent some time outside of the city at Windsor Castle during the war. Two homes privately owned by the royal family are the Balmoral estate in Scotland (featured in the movie and where the current Queen continues to holiday in summer) and Sandringham House in Norfolk, England (where George VI was born and died). Balmoral was first purchased by Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort, Prince Albert, and Sandringham was purchased by their eldest son, who would become King Edward VII. King Edward VIII, Bertie’s brother, inherited both of these properties, but his abdication did not mean Bertie, the new King George VI, could automatically own and maintain them as royal residences of the reigning monarch; indeed, George VI was required to buy them from his brother.
As for another notable London location referenced in the film, Westminster Abbey has been the site of coronations since 1066, when William the Conqueror was crowned. The coronation chair that Geoffrey Rush is seen to boldly sit on during the King’s ceremony practice was first used during coronations at the Abbey in 1308, for the coronation of King Edward II, and was the very same that Queen Elizabeth II sat in and likely Prince Charles one day. Interestingly enough, King George VI’s brother Edward never got to sit in the chair himself since he’d abdicated before he could officially be crowned. The actual chair is on display to the public in the Abbey.
There’s still more I want to cover, so join me tomorrow as I continue with my King’s Speech-inspired research and give you some background history to precede your London move.
Living in London - Summer in the City- Image via Wikipedia
Heading straight into June and with the glorious days of July, August and September ahead, we find ourselves with Summer in London upon us. As an American moving to London, you may very well find yourself comfortably sitting with the illusion that London (and England as a whole) is a drab and colorless city, with summers as cold as many cities’ winters. If so, you’re in for quite a surprise once London’s summer swings around.
If you’re living in London in the summer, you’ll often see days climbing to 25 °C (77 °F) on the thermometer and sometimes even as high as 30 °C (86 °F). For the neophyte, it’s the kind of weather that means seeing London and its environs in a manner befitting seeing any new city – on your feet and at a leisurely pace. Start off with a visit to the London Eye on a clear day. As well as giving you an eye popping view of the city and its surrounds, taking a ride on this popular tourist attraction will give you a bird’s eye view of the city. It could show you places you have yet to visit and help you sort out your ‘explore London’ itinerary.
As for drab, grey and colourless, banish these images from your mind. Places like Regents Park, Notting Hill and the open space of Trafalgar Square really do help to show off the colour and vitality that London has to offer. And nothing will help to clear the stereotype of a grey and dreary London from your mind quite like the Chelsea Flower Show, the unofficial kick-off to London’s summer.
London is a city that revels in its summer, with the season being a veritable riot of things to do and see. From music concerts to public entertainment to sports events, none are more exciting than the highlight of summer in June, The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship, which will see the world’s top tennis players gather in London to face off for that tournament’s prestigious trophy. As an American moving to London, it’s an event which should go straight into your diary.
A drab and colourless London? Perish the thought.
Living in London – London-Cheap, Cheap!- Image via Wikipedia
If there’s one thing that most people are prepared for when they are moving to London, it’s to spend lots of cash. This is chiefly because London is recognized as one of the most expensive cities in the world. Now that you are living in London, it’s no doubt something you’ve come across quite frequently. Moreover, even if you’re no cheapskate, it’s always a bit heartbreaking to see another few pounds go fluttering out of your wallet.
Fear not, for even in a city as terrifyingly expensive as London, there are opportunities to save something here and there, or to get something and not have to hand over paper or plastic.
Looking for a good night’s entertainment? Try The Tuesday Night Experiment, every Tuesday at the Comedy Cafe, and the open mic night, every Wednesday, no charge. Guaranteed laughs and an overall fun night out.
Given that you’re right in the cultural melting pot that is London, you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to music, with umpteen places offering a heady mix of styles to enjoy, all for the low, low price of absolutely nothing. Check out Proud Camden, Upstairs at the Ritzy, Dysart Arms and Favela Chic, to name a few. You’ll find everything from London’s up-and-comers in Jazz, traditional music straight out of Rio’s favelas, laid back Blues, indie-influenced Dubstep all the way through to psychedelic rock. And all free.
Festivals you say. Try the Notting Hill Carnival. With colourful floats and a melange of music and other performances on show, the festival runs from Aug 28-29 (a bank holiday weekend. Hurrah!). Add to that the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival with its open-air arts and performances running from Jun 23 – Jul 3. There’s also the Shoreditch festival, the Marylebone Summer Fair and the Thames Festival.
As for eating out, London has a fair selection of restaurants offering specials that will not dent your wallet. Bahn Mi Bay, Bi Bim Bap, Four Seasons, Golden Union Fish Bar, Koya and Pimlico Fresh have some excellent specials, especially in the summer. Beatroot, Comptoir Libanais, Maoz Vegetarian and Mooli’s will give you a top-notch meal that hovers at the £15 mark.
Living in London means that you could enjoy an entire day out of your new London rental and not worry about phoning your bank manager for permission first!
Hello there, Weekend Warriors! If you’re relocating to London, please join me again as I über-informally chronicle the British monarchs. Last week we saw the sad, brief reign of Edward V, the boy-king who was allegedly murdered by his very uncle, the new King Richard III.
The unscrupulous Richard III will be the last king to reign from the York line and indeed of the Plantagenet dynasty after a long line of its Yorkist and Lancastrian factions have served (the very family that engaged in civil war over this power, known famously as the War of the Roses). As we saw in earlier posts, Richard was instrumental in bringing his brother, Edward IV, to the throne, but in disposing of young Edward V, Richard himself is crowned in 1483.
That same year, the Duke of Buckingham—who had once assisted Richard III—raises a rebellion against the king, but he is readily defeated. Nonetheless, the rising was enough to strip away some of the nobility’s support for the new king. Buckingham’s aim was to replace Richard III with a man by the name of Henry Tudor, who is a more distant relation to the Lancastrian line. Tudor’s troops rally in 1485 and defeat Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, where the king is killed.
On Richard III’s death ascends a new monarch, King Henry VII. And thus begins the House of Tudor…
King George VI, the real man behind the microphone of The King's Speech. Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
Whether you’re relocating to London or simply interested in visiting, it goes without saying that this year’s Oscar Award-winning film The King’s Speech has sparked great interest in England and its history. My husband and I finally watched it on-demand this week and, like everyone else it seems, loved it. What a testament to good acting, cinematography, and story that an audience can remain so engaged without the rapid editing and bang! boom! pow! of the average modern movie.
Now that I’m off my soapbox about that , I thought I’d devote a couple blog posts this week and next to the miscellaneous questions our viewing raised…the Huh? moments, if you will, that such a quality flick can inspire and may inform you more on London.
These will be in no particular order, but I do recall my first “Huh?” regarded the King’s name…King George VI is referred to as “Bertie.” This is because before he was King, he was Prince Albert (his full name was Albert Frederick Arthur George), thus “Bertie” was short for Albert. Upon his coronation, he then assumed the official name of George that would denote his royal lineage, as is tradition in promoting the continuity of the throne.
Not many of the younger generation know much about the British monarchy prior to the current Queen Elizabeth (if, in fact, they know much more beyond the teenybopper magazines Prince William used to grace and the recent media frenzy surrounding his royal wedding to Kate Middleton). It’s certainly not because the previous generations were any less interesting, that’s for sure! So though I’d happened to already know this tidbit, one of my husband’s first Huh moments came about with Bertie’s brother’s abdication of the throne as King Edward VIII. Edward, the Prince of Wales (whereas Albert was the Duke of York—note that the Prince of Wales is traditionally first in line to succeed to the throne; today, this is Prince Charles) had only served as King for a few months after his father King George V’s passing when he’d proposed marriage to an American socialite en route to being divorced for her second time. This was perceived as utterly scandalous by royalty and government alike, so Edward had to make his choice. Well, considering Prince Albert stepped in to become King George VI soon thereafter, we all know what Edward chose…that fool for love.
Which had brought me to my next couple Huh? moments: to start, in the film the Prime Minister states to Bertie that the Church does not condone divorce and, as King at the time, Edward was head of the Church. This would be the Church of England, which King Henry VIII established in order to get around the Catholic church’s rulings against divorce so he could leave Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyne. Can you see why I was scratching my head on this, then?? Oh, but silly me…I really wasn’t thinking it through at the time. You see, while the Church of England has the structure in place to render divorce legal, it still has a strong stance against it. The Church supports marriage for life, and, unless a former spouse is dead, divorcees may not necessarily get to remarry in the Church. (For more information on this topic, see the BBC’s “Divorce in the Church of England” and The Church of England website).
Secondly, we recognized that the Prime Minister stating this was not Winston Churchill, though we’d thought the latter was PM at the time and he was present in the film. Thank you, Google… As of 1936 when King George V passed away and both Edward VIII and George VI were coronated, Winston Churchill was “in the wilderness” politically. He had served as Secretary of State for war and air from 1919-1921 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1924-1929, but in the 1930s his controversial views (against India’s self-rule, for Edward’s abdication, and for British rearmament against the future threat of Hitler) had all made Churchill unpopular. Nonetheless, when war did break out in 1939 (and King George VI made his famous speech), Churchill was made First Lord of the Admiralty and became England’s Prime Minister in 1940 when Neville Chamberlain resigned. Churchill’s courage against Nazi Germany gave the nation heart, and, well, the rest is history…
Join me Monday when I continue with my King’s Speech things that made me go hmm…(that’s right, I just made a shout-out to C+C Music Factory, yo!)…and that will perhaps make you go ah ha! as you prepare for your London move.
Living In London – Music Melting Pot – Where to Go? - Image via Wikipedia
There is no definitive guide to live music venues for you to visit when you are living in London. The cultural and musical diversity is staggering and you’ll be able to find venues and events that cater to all types of musical taste. If you just love the vibe of watching and experiencing live music then there are number of excellent and rather famous clubs and pubs that offer a range of musical events for you to enjoy.
Part of living in London means that you need to get out and enjoy the city at night. So lock up your new London rental and head out on the town into central London for a live music experience.
Half Moon – Putney: This is one of the more famous spots for live music in London and this club has been the home for many of the biggest bands in music today. The Rolling Stones consider the Half Moon to be their home. U2 and The Who made the Half Moon famous, or was it the other way round? This club now also offers comedy and live music seven days a week. It is one of the finest venues for international blues and soul musicians in the world.
Hootananny – Brixton: This packed venue offers great Mexican food and top notch performances. If you’re in the mood for some reggae, hip-hop or soul and ska, then this is the place to go. It’s really crowded, but really rocking too.
Ronnie Scott’s- Soho: If jazz is your thing then there really is only Ronnie Scott’s in terms of fame and quality. In business since 1959, the club has played host to Miles Davis, Stan Getz, and Ella Fitzgerald to name but a few of the jazz legends who have played here.
The Dublin Castle – Camden: If you love live gigs, then you’ll adore The Dublin Castle. Considered by many to be the home of the Indie movement in England, this venue is one of the best live gig venues in the city.
Wherever you go to kick back and chill out, or even if you want to rock it loud and late, living in London means you’re right in the very center of it all.
, I thought I’d devote a couple blog posts this week and next to the miscellaneous questions our viewing raised…the Huh? moments, if you will, that such a quality flick can inspire and may inform you more on London.
