This semi-sunny, on the cusp of Spring day compels me to recommend a lovely spot in Northern London where you might fancy living if you’re moving to London, or to at least visit:  Hampstead.  Maintaining a village atmosphere, this area experienced population growth during the Victorian age, to which many of its quaint buildings date back.  It is known as an artistic and literary haven, and no doubt Hampstead Heath has provided much of such inspiration over the centuries.  Nearly 800 acres in size, the Heath is an immense bounty of green space to be had in London.  With its wooded trails, open, rolling meadows and ponds, it’s a tranquil retreat from urban life that is easily accessible from the city center.  Even just strolling through the pristine, postcard-perfect residential streets is a calming treat that takes you back to another era.  One particular home of interest in Hampstead is Keats House, where the poet lived from 1818 to 1820 and wrote some his most notable poems, including “Ode to a Nightingale.”  The Spaniards Inn, which Keats himself liked to frequent (as did Lord Byron) alleges that this poem was written in its gardens; whether true or not, I highly recommend this pub as a stop for food and libations.  It has a charming beer garden, and whilst sitting there you can revel in its history–it dates back to the 16th-century and is even mentioned in classic literature like Dickens’s first novel, The Pickwick Papers, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

It’s true that this is a very expensive neighborhood to live in, so if it’s a bit outside of your budget, you can content yourself that London Relocation Ltd. will place you in a lovely locale that meets all your needs and will be close enough to public transport so you can catch the Tube to visit Hampstead whenever you want–take the Northern Line to either Belsize Park or Hampstead stations and step right onto the high street to delight in its cute boutiques and cafes.

Today’s English lesson is dedicated to those words/phrases commonly seen on signs all over London:

Takeaway = Carry-Out

Way Out = Exit

Mind the… = Watch Out for… (e.g., “Mind the Step,” “Mind Your Head”)

Baggage Reclaim = Baggage Claim (“Reclaim” does make more sense, doesn’t it?)

Queue up = Stand in Line

Diversion = Detour

Give Way = Yield

Dual Carriageway = Two-Lane Highway

Humps = Bumps (as in road bumps…get your mind out of the gutter)

As you can see, while using different phrasing, the London signs are nonetheless quite self-explanatory, so you won’t have too difficult a time understanding them.  And the signs in this city that you will be most grateful for are the ones painted where the sidewalks meet the street:  ”Look Left” or “Look Right.”  Now that is tricky, but I promise you’ll get the hang of it to the point where you’ll be forgetting the correct way to look back home!  And regardless, when you’re exploring your neighborhoods and finding your London flat through London Relocation Ltd., we’ll always point you in the right direction.

THE CITY OF LONDON

Early morning after a thunderous night I can breathe easy.
If I’m quiet I may hear the sound of birdsong.
Sometimes there is a mist. It hangs over London like a veil.
Soon empty streets will heave with massing crowds,
but until then all London is at peace.

The gentle tinkling of milk bottles breaks the quiet
and the smell of bacon and fried bread
waft through the chill morning air.
Distant sounds of sirens fill my head and
concrete rises heavenward filling my eyes,
crushing their foundations through my soul.
A sickness seeps through me,
everything beautiful has gone.

“Morning paper, read all about it! ”

Girls hurry buy in tight blue jeans,
men in suits, some in Mac’s, high-heeled ladies,
clicky, click, clack.
Poor old tramp, fingernails black,
stirs on the floor beside a closed door,
‘Got the price of a cuppa luv’, he calls.
The girl quickens her pace.
A couple kiss in tender bliss
A young man sighs, a baby cries,
an old lady dies on the streets of London.

Early morning after a thunderous night you can
breathe easy, all London is at peace……..If you’re
very quiet you may even hear the sound of birdsong.

“The City of London, during working hours is a bustling hive of activity but just before the ‘rush hour’ there is peace.  I wrote this in the middle of the night, many years ago. My mind went back to those times when I was young and used to go, with my brother to London to visit my Grandfather. We would always stop to walk through the City and my brother would point out places of interest being much older than me, 14 years older in fact!  There was a mist that morning and a fine rain that seemed to lick at my lips.  The tranquillity of the early morning streets was rudely broken by people coming into the City to work [...]”

– Ruth Walters

(from PoemHunter.com)

Continuing to roll with our previous posts on British Airways High Life magazine’s 1,000^th thing to do in London, below are a few readers’ suggestions of how to appreciate the arts here:

“See two famous pictures in one hidden gem.  Don’t miss Fragonard’s The Swing and Frans Hals’s Laughing Cavalier and all the other treasures at the refurbished Wallace Collection.”

“Keats House in Hampstead is a beautiful, peaceful museum dedicated to the world’s greatest poet.”

“Watch a West End musical.  The sets and costumes are breathtaking.  Great entertainment for all the family.”

“Number One London, more commonly known as Apsley House, is a unique Grade I-listed mansion built by Robert Adam and was once the home of the Duke of Wellington.  It is full of opulent interiors and paintings by the masters like Rubens and Goya as well as furniture and artefacts from the period.”

If you’re moving to London, you’ll eventually be eager to side-step the tourist trail and discover these hidden nooks on your own.  Once the relocation specialists at London Relocation Ltd. assist you with your London home search, you’ll be ready to explore and surely discover your own list of 1,000 things to do here!

Oh, if only I knew how to crack the Cockney code! No, today’s post is devoted to the more mainstream oft-used words and expressions that you’re likely to hear on a daily basis. As you’ll see, it isn’t so much that this particular word list isn’t shared with American English, but, rather, that even these shared words will have subtle differences in meaning. To illustrate, I’ll start out with:

brilliant = great (as in, “That’s brilliant!” instead of “That’s great!”)
lovely = great, wonderful

no worries = no problem

hiya = hello / hi there

cheers = goodbye, thank you (also used to toast drinks)

mate = friend (it’s used much more often, though, as male Americans would probably say, ‘man’ or ‘dude’ than as’friend’–often accompanying greetings and goodbyes; e.g., “Hiya, mate,” “Cheers, mate”)

bollocks = literally means “testicles,” but is used in the same sense as a hearty American “bulls**t.”

rubbish = nonsense; used similarly as “bollocks” (e.g., “Oh, you’re talking rubbish”)

bloody / bugger = essentially curse words in the vein of the “F” bomb.

cheeky = being a smart alec

chuffed = pleased, excited

daft = stupid

dodgy = shady, untrustworthy

engaged = busy

fancy = desire (e.g., “Do you a fancy a pint?”)

peckish = hungry

gutted = disappointed, upset

gobsmacked = surprised, shocked

knackered = tired, exhausted

Sorry? = Pardon?

pissed = drunk

taking the piss = making fun

posh = fancy, high class

straightaway = right away

Quite! = Absolutely!

quid = British pound

right = okay  (not as in, “I’m okay,” but such as,  “Okay, I’ll get to that.”

ring = call

row = argument

sacked = fired

fit = hot (as in very attractive: “You’re looking quite fit!”)

sod off / piss off = get lost, beat it

ta = thanks

whinge = whine

And when it comes to property, London Relocation Ltd. will do the translation for you!

Yep, we’ve been there. No worries, you are certainly not alone in feeling like you’re driving in the wrong lane and going in circles when it comes to tackling all the logistics involved in an international move.

Moving to a new country is one of the most enlightening yet stressful life changes one can undertake–it’s certainly not a “Vacation”…it’s a new everyday way of living! There are endless factors involved–some that are obvious that you can plan for, some that are obscure and take you by surprise. At London Relocation Ltd., we will help smooth over those stumbling blocks as best as we can. We understand how the property market here works, so you won’t have to pull out your pocket translator Clark-Griswald-style to understand–we’ll help manage your expectations in advance and proceed to find you the highest quality living accommodation meeting your requirements and negotiate the lease on your behalf. We can even help you find that spare room for when your Cousin Eddie comes to visit.

Our forte is flat-hunting and setting you up with a UK bank account, but never hesitate to contact us regarding other questions you may have about London life. We also welcome you to interact with the members of London Living with your concerns, as we have a lovely community of expats already living in London who are eager to share their experiences and plan social outings with you when you arrive! The locals are so very friendly, too:

Cheers from London Relocation Ltd.–we wish you the hap-hap-happiest life in London!