Sherlock Holmes | London Relocation Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Sherlock Holmes’

London Tapestry – History and Literature Woven Together

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

London Tapestry – History and Literature Woven Together - Image by Orchid Junkie via Flickr

One of the many fun things about moving to London is the delight that comes of seeing the city you live in mentioned in a book. That applies to any city really, but even more so with London given how often it appears in literature. And so, here is another in a series of blogs about books with London as a backdrop (the first was about Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel, ‘Neverwhere’). With this blog, we’ll take a look at Kim Newman’s horror novel, ‘Anno Dracula’.

Anno Dracula is probably unlike any novel you’ll have ever read. Set a few years after the ending of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the novel assumes that instead of Van Helsing and his band of novice vampire hunters defeating the Prince of Darkness, they fail in their mission. Dracula escapes, manages to make his way into the Royal House, marries Queen Victoria and turns her as well. An interesting take on the history of this great Queen with a dark and sinister overtone. Victorian London was like that; full of darkness and foggy nights. A perfect setting for a vampire novel.

After turning Queen Victoria into a sovereign vampire, no longer feeling the need to hide with one of their own in Buckingham Palace, come out of the shadows and soon, the whole of London is dominated by them, in business, politics as well as high society. And then a serial killer, called Jack the Ripper, starts killing vampire prostitutes and a panic descends over the whole city.

It is, by turns, gothic horror, thriller, Victorian romance, and social commentary. It is also gloriously fun at times, being the kind of novel where Oscar Wilde and Sherlock Holmes are given equal mention, amongst other characters from Victorian history and Victorian fiction. It’s also talks about other vampires from around the world, like a bandit cowboy in America called Billy the Kid. Elsewhere, you’ll see Dr Hyde and Dr Moreau as two rival scientists working together.

It’s a fun way of looking at the London you live in, seeing as it is a very alternate history of the city. If you’re in the mood for something that can be both thought provoking and entertaining (as as well as pretty gory at times) give Anno Dracula a shot, as reading about the city you live in can be an especially enjoyable part of moving to London.

After you’ve read this novel, you’ll have to venture out of your new London rental and explore some of the places that are mentioned in the book. Take a tour of Whitechapel and the world of Jack the Ripper, or walk the paths trodden by the famous Sherlock Holmes. One of the greatest things about living in London is the way that history has been woven into the tapestry of modern London, and it’s all there for you to experience.

Tags: Americans moving to London, Anno Dracula, London, Moving to London, moving to London England, Queen Victoria, Sherlock Holmes
Posted in 'London Literacy' - our poet's corner! | No Comments »

Living In London – Tour London By Taxi

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Living In London – Tour London By Taxi--Image via Wikipedia

Author: Belinda

If you just started your grand adventure of living in London then you’ll want to get acquainted with your city as fast as possible. If you’re still a little nervous about venturing out of your apartment and taking the tube to some of the tourist attractions then why not take a black cab tour of the city. London black cabs are an iconic part of this vibrant city and they offer a unique perspective on the city from someone who really knows their way around.

London taxi drivers have something called “The Knowledge”. It forms part of their years of training and a London taxi driver is only allowed to take the helm of one of these magnificent cabs once they have passed a test after a couple of years of studying. The basic test is, if you give an address or even a partial address to a London cabbie he’ll know exactly where to take you without a moment’s hesitation. Plus you don’t have to listen to the voice on the GPS system!

If you’re moving to London for the first time, you should take a taxi tour as one of the first interesting activities that you do. You can get a group of people together to take the tour and you can even choose a themed tour depending on what you want to see. Children will love the Harry Potter themed tour and the Sherlock Holmes tour. You can also do a tour that takes in some of the biggest tourist attractions, like the London Eye and Piccadilly Circus. Taking a cab is definitely more expensive than using public transport, but taking special taxi tours of London is money well spent on getting to know your new home.

It’s a great way to get around your new city and see some of the sights that will make living in London so spectacular.

Tags: Belinda, Hackney carriage, Harry Potter, living in London, London, London Eye, London Living, london move, london moving, London Relocation, Moving to London, Piccadilly Circus, relocating to London, Sherlock Holmes, Tourism
Posted in Living in London, London Recreation, London Transportation, Moving to London: London Sightseeing, Moving to London: Tips & Culture, Shopping in London Places | No Comments »

London Bundle: The Residential Roam

Friday, May 28th, 2010

We’re going to move it on up a little North of our Shopping Spree bundle today to some charming residential neighborhoods of London.

Hop the Tube to Regent’s Park Underground station (Bakerloo line). From here, we’re going to walk into, surprise, surprise…Regent’s Park! Explore this vast park to your heart’s content—if you haven’t had breakfast yet, you can grab a bite at either the Boathouse or Garden Cafes, and do stroll through Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, the largest of its kind in London. You will notice the Open Air Theatre as well, which runs performances from May through September, and in the Northern part of the park, you’ll find the zoo!

If you’ve had enough fresh air and are itching for a museum of sorts, just off the lower West corner of the park (near the Baker Street Tube) are the famous Madame Tussaud’s wax museum as well as the Sherlock Holmes museum.

From here, you can walk into Marylebone and acquaint yourself with this neighborhood and either go on foot or catch the Tube at Baker Street or Marylebone Underground stations to St. John’s Wood. This upscale residential neighborhood is home to Paul McCartney and Abbey Road Studios (yes, you can even walk on the famous zebra stripe across Abbey Road as the Beatles did for the album cover of same name). Sports enthusiasts will also find the Lord’s cricket pitch here where the Marylebone Cricket Club plays its matches.

If you follow St. John’s Road toward the West and hang a left onto Maida Vale, you will then gain exposure to yet another delightful and peaceful area—Maida Vale. Here you’ll find the road made famous by Duffy’s song, “Warwick Avenue,” but of most aesthetic interest is Little Venice, so named because of its canals and boats. This is such a fun spot for cafes and pubs, so this might be a good time to stop for lunch or even early dinner, depending on how your day’s been going.

Otherwise, if you hold out for dinner and are open to spicy international food, I absolutely recommend heading down the Maida Vale street, which will eventually become Edgware Road. Here you will find a row of restaurants representing a range of Middle Eastern cuisine for very reasonable prices and can even treat yourself to a shisha and mint tea (hookah) after dinner out on the sidewalk.

The rest of the evening is up to you…if you’re a Paddington Bear fan, one little sidetrack you could make is to see Paddington Station where this little bear from Darkest Peru was discovered. Otherwise, maybe go get some rest after this long, fun day!