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Life in London
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“London, London, London town,You can toughen up or get thrown around.” ― Kano
“One thing about London is that when you step out into the night, it swallows you.”
― Sebastian Faulks, Engleby
“This was London, in all its filth and glory. Nostalgic for the past, while yearning to cast off the chains of bygone ages and step forward into the bright utopia of the future. Proud of its achievements, yet despising its own flaws. A monster in both size and nature, that would consume the unwary and spit them out again, in forms unrecognizable and undreamt.
"London, the monster city”
― Marie Brennan, With Fate Conspire
Life in London
1.1. Introduction
Such a unique place is Greater London that a lot of people consider it to be exceptional and culturally different from any other cities. For many people Greater London is like a fantasy story full of old secrets hidden behind amazing architecture, stunning landscape, and incredible events. Those who have been to the Greater London love it with all their hearts. Those who dream about a journey to London cannot wait for it. “There is nowhere else like London. Nothing at all, anywhere” said Vivienne Westwood impressed by London. Why is Greater London so fascinating that makes us daydream and yearn for? The answer is easy! London’s glamour, varied traditions and customs, its multiculturalism, monuments and culture are reasons why numerous tourists visit it. Being the capital of the Great Britain, it is a place where human beings from different countries gather and decide to live. In the following essay the focus will be made on this city’s characteristic elements, society, mentality and traditions.
1.2. Getting to know London: associations, main attractions and beliefs
Figure 1. The Royal Guards. Source: http://travel.ezinemark.com/best-london-landscape-pictures-7736af4b9ba8.html
Firstly, as Murphy (1997) shows, there is a variety of associations connected with Greater London and its fantastic culture which keeps us thinking about visiting this comely place. To begin with, although Greater London is thought to be composed of red TAXI and the Royal Guards (see Figure 1 above) with black hats, there is something more about it. There are many important monuments and places that have a long story and come to our mind instantly, be it, for instance, the Tower of London, which is a well-known building. It is filled with dark secrets and it is a place where many people passed away, suffered, or became prisoners, and that is why, it is believed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the Greater London. In addition, Coca-cola London Eye catches our eyes and is one of the most characteristic places in Greater London, a symbol of London’s modernity. Next, there is Big Ben (as illustrated in Figure 2), a gigantic clock and an emblem of Greater London.
Figure 2. Big Ben. Source: http://www.londyn.webd.pl/Big%20Ben_4.html
What also comes to our mind is the Windsor’s Castle, a historical fortress that belongs to the Crown. It was built in the reign of William the Conqueror. Next, London is associated with royalty, as Buckingham Palace, the residence of the Queen is there. You can see it in Figure 3 below. As Barrow (2013c) shows, the building is officially the mansion of the current Royal family. To sum up, more can be said about London and the things that people associate with it; still, now it is time to go further to the society that is a mixture of people of different colour, religion and nationality.
Figure 3. Buckingham Palace. Source: http://omojuwa.com/2015/03/watch-video-of-naked-man-jumping-out-of-buckingham-palace/
And thus let us focus on the society in London which is heterogeneous and consists of “people from different financial backgrounds and ethnic origins” (Tijk & Yeboah, n.d.). There lives an uncountable number of people of various religions and races who have different beliefs (see Figure 4). In London more than 300 languages are used by its 8.1 million residents. 44.9 per cent of this city’s population is white, and includes a large group of immigrants from India, Africa, Asia and other countries (Moving to London, n.d.). Next, Tijk &Yeboah (n.d.) claim that the capital of the Great Britain is very tolerant and offences based on the racisms are harshly disciplined. Another feature of London’s society is that there is a big discrepancy between the rich and the poor (Tijk & Yeboah, n.d.). Although London is known to be one of the most prosperous cities in the world, there are individuals who are unemployed, starving and without home. In this city one may encounter lawbreaking very often. Middle-class and working-class residential areas are closely situated to each other. They are usually located in inner city areas (Tijk & Yeboah, n.d.). Moreover, although there seems to be a wide variety of human beings that come from around the world, Londoners are also there. They are known to be meticulous when following rules. This can be said about all aspects of their life. They are very thorough and hard-working as far as work is concerned. Not only do Londoners patiently fill a lot of documents, but also pay attention to the traffic rules. Because of that people who come to London are expected to do the same. If they breach any public policies or norms, they may face some consequences (“Traditions, lifestyle and habits in London,” 2002).
Figure 4. Multicultural London. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2045447/Headteacher-David-Levin-says-London-divided-ethnic-ghettos.html
1.3. Chosen attractions in London: museums, Warner Bross, music, and architecture.
Now, let us focus more thoroughly on various attractions and monuments in London. The London’s beauty is in the eye of its visitor. Some people love London for its fantastic landscape; some do appreciate London’s architecture; for others it is museums that make them impressed. Whatever it is that makes them feel alive in London, London is such a unique place that crowds of people gather there each year. Greater London is believed to be filled with exceptional objects which make you fall in love with this city at first sight. There are tourist attractions that catch your eye.
As shown in Figure 5, there is the British Museum, as Dunderman (2014) presents, shows us the history of human beings. Under the roof of the museum, there is a huge collection of souvenirs connected with our history. What we can see there are sculptures, arts, 3D paintings, etc.
Figure 5. The British Museum. Source: http://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/2014/12/04/the-british-museum-and-sketchfab-introduce-3d-printing-of-artifacts/
Tate Modern is also located in Greater London. It is a fabulous art musem which makes you feel excited. When you look at the sky, you can see the aforementioned Coca Cola London Eye, which is an emblem of Greater London. At Madame Tussauds (Murphy, 1995) you can touch famous people, even those who are actually dead. How can you do that? Is it possible? Well, Madame Tussauds is a place full of famous stars made of wax. Thus, you have an opportunity to meet eye-to-eye with Shakespeare, who passed away hundreds years ago. You can find some icons of pop and rock music such as Lady Gaga or Micheal Jackson (as presented in Figure 6), who seem to be singing their well-known songs, or heroes and heroines from the film Star Wars. One can meet the Queen and take photos with her, which is an unforgettable experience, or one can enter the Chamber of Horror so as to meet Jack the Ripper, who evokes fear.
Figure 6. A wax figure of Michael Jackson. Source: https://www.madametussauds.com/blackpool/
newsandevents/mjtour/default.aspx
What is more, if you are a bookworm, you can find a lot of things that will catch your attention. To begin with, if you are a great fan of Harry Potter, a film about a young wizard who saves the world from cruel Lord Voldemort using magic, you can enter the Warner Bros Studio (Whelan, 2013). What you discover there is Harry Potter’s costumes and props. But there is something more about it; you can explore the magical world and reveal all the secrets related to Hogwarts. See Figure 7, for it illustrates the school of wizards. Thus, we can feel there as if we were a part of Harry Potter’s world. There is said to be everything there that we connote with Harry Potter; for example, the Great Hall, magical wands, the Dumbledore’s Office, the Gryffindor Common Room, figures of magical creatures as well as figures of main characters, etc. There are also newspapers from the Harry Potter’s world and all posters, OWL exams, books written by wizards in the film. One can experience a fantastic journey into the world where magic plays the main role and everything is possible as far as magic skills are concerned.
Figure 7. Hogwart. Source: http://www.seeknewtravel.com/hogwarts-in-the-snow-a-wintery-return-to-the-hp-studio-tour/
Moreover, it is music that makes life more exciting. As Berthold Auerbach, a German writer, said that “music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”, one can look at the most wonderful musicals which are available in Greater London. Thus, if you are a great fan of Disney’s fairy tales, you have to watch a musical about The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. The evocative music from the Lion King makes you feel relaxed and stunning special effects makes you watch the performance with pleasure. If you are keen on any other types of musicals, you can watch the Phantom of the Opera (see Figure 8) at Her Majesty’s Theater (Tepsanu, 2012). The mixture of secretive main characters, falling pendants and soothing music makes your dreams come true. This epic musical has attracted many people since 1984.
Figure 8. The Phantom of the Opera. Source: http://london.broadway.com/buzz/177087/london-phantom-star-geronimo-rauch-on-jumping-from-one-iconic-role-to-another-his-broadway-dreams-and-unique-name/
Next, Greater London seems to be full of modern buildings and skyscrapers but despite London’s modernity, there are also parks, gardens, and woods (Murphy, 1995). Thus, what we love about Greater London is the Royal Botanic Gardens, as presented by Figure 9. If you delve into the garden, you can discover cafes, restaurants and stunning lakes. Not only are there gardens, but also parks. If you are tired of having visited all modern places in Greater London, you can rest in the Hyde Park where a gigantic fountain is located. Sitting there among ornamental flowers, clean lakes, you can feel as if you were far away from one of the biggest and the most modern cities, in a secluded place.
Figure 9. The Royal Botanic Garden. Source: http://www.reise-abc.ch/london/royal-botanic-gardens.aspx
1.4. Tradition in London
“You don't really need modernity in order to exist totally and fully. You need a mixture of modernity and tradition” said Theodore Bikel, an Austrian-American actor and musician. What is exceptional about each city is its traditions. Traditions are like en emblem of a particular city; cities cannot exist without their characteristic customs. Greater London is not the exception to this rule; it is composed of various traditions and ceremonies which this part of the essay is going to be about.
Figure 10. Changing the Guards. Source: http://whodeyfans.com/2012/01/13/changing-of-the-guards/
Wallace (2015) stated that London has almost 2,000 years of traditions and even the oldest ones are still alive in the hearts of Londoners. All castles, palaces which we can find in London relate to the regal history of the city. Also a lot of traditions are connected with the Britain as a kingdom, for in the Greater London the most important buildings belong to the Royal Family.
One of the traditions is Changing the Guard, which is illustrated by Figure 10 above. “Changing the Guard takes place inside the railings of the forecourt to Buckingham Palace. The Foot Guards provide a colorful display in their red tunics and bearskins and are accompanied by a band throughout“ (Wallace, 2015). The “new” guard takes the place of the “old“ one and the watch of the new one begins. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes. Watching this changing of the Guards is free, so everyone who comes to London can take part in this striking tradition at 11:30 am from April to July. You can watch it on alternate days too. Barrow (2013a) says that the tradition has its roots in 1660 when the guardsmen took care of the queen or king.
Figure 11. The Queen celebrating her birthday. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2657820/
There are said to be several traditions connected with the birthday of the Queen (see Figure 11). According to Wallace (2015), the Queen celebrates privately her birthday on the 21st April. Not only does the Queen celebrate her birthday on this day, but also all the Londoners, as in the middle of London the salute of gun takes place. “There is a 41-gun in Hyde Park a 21-gun in Windsor Great Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.” This spectacular show usually begins at about 11:45 am and then the Troops are ready to shot in order to commemorate the birthday of the Queen. Moreover, the Queen celebrates her birthday on other day which is not connected with her real day of birth (Huseyin, 2014). This ceremony takes place always in June irrespective of the real day of the present queen’ or king’s day of birth. The tradition is called Trooping the Colour. It has its roots in the 18th century when the red colour was a symbol of the British regiment. The soldiers were more recognizable on the battlefields due to this colour. This special day the Queen inspects the British soldiers, who usually hold flags and colours, and receives their salute; next, she stands on the balcony in order to look at the Royal Air Force. There is a new tradition called The Queen’s Telegram (Barrow, 2013a). According to this tradition, people who are hundred years old receive a telegram from the Queen.
Figure 12. Sir Michael Moritz receives knighthood from the Queen. Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-24739973
What is more, the Queen gives honors to British people who deserve it (Barrow, 2013). In Buckingham Palace the Queen used to give titles once in January and once in June. Thus, if you are a prominent British, you can receive some titles from the Queen; for example, the title of Companion of the British Empire (C.B.E.), Knighthood thanks to which, “sir“ is added before one’s name. A knight kneels before the Queen and she touches his shoulder with a sword, as illustrated in Figure 12. Then, she tells him “arise, Sir James“, the ritual ends and a new knight belongs to Knighthood. There is said to be an honor called Peerage which makes an honored person be a member of the House of Lords. Next, there are titles for exceptional women: Dames and Barrones. Moreover, a tradition called Moundy Friday exists. During the ceremony, the Queen provides a group of old people with money. There were cases in the past that the queen or king washed the feet of poor people, but it is no longer celebrated. The pensioners are given two kinds of purses: one is white and the second one is red. In the white purse there is a number of pences that is the same as the age of the queen or king. The red purse is filled with “£5.50 exactly; £1 which represents the redemption of the monarch’s gown, £3 in lieu of the clothing once given, and £1.50 for the food that was once presented.” (Huseyin, 2013). There is also other tradition connected with the Queen. The Queen looks at the Thames which is full of white swans and decides which ones are going to be royal birds (Barrow, 2013a).
Figure 13. The Ceremony of Keys. Source: http://blog.housetrip.com/london-with-kids/
Besides, as illustrated by Figure 13, there is known to be the Ceremony of Keys (Huseyin, 2013). This ceremony is so famous that everybody connotes it with the words and expressions: “Halt! Who goes there?”; “Keys!“; “Whose keys?”; “Queen Elizabeth’s keys!”; “Pass Elizabeth’ Keys! All’s well!”. The ceremony takes place at the Tower of London which is locked by the Warder, who looks like a person from the historical time of the Tudors. At 9: 35 p.m. he walks to the escort of Keys who are dressed in beefeater clothes. The procession goes to the Bloody Tower when a sentry dialogues about the keys that were mentioned above. According to Rardon, this ceremony has taken place for 700 years; it was not given up even during the Second World War when it was raining with bombs.
Figure 14. The State Opening of Parliament. Source: http://www.parliament.uk/education/about-your-parliament/introduction/state-opening-of-parliament/
Finally, the Londoners celebrate the well-known State Opening of the Parliament, as presented in Figure 14 (Huseyin, 2013). This tradition opens the new parliamentary year. It dates back to the Middle Ages and takes place in May. Peers, bishops, and the whole procession are dressed in traditional robes. Before the Queen’s entering the Parliament, a royal bodyguard searches the cellars of the House of Parliament using the candle-lantern (Barrow, 2013a). It is celebrated because in the past there were Gunpowder’s Conspirators, whose aim was to blow up the building of Parliament. Next, the Queen travels to the House of Parliament by a gold carriage. Then, the union flag is replaced with the royal one. After replacing the flag, the Queen, who has a crown on the head and ceremonial clothes, sits on the throne in the House of Lords and gives her speech.
Figure 15. Bankside Twelfth Night. Source: http://blogs.voanews.com/photos/2013/01/06/january-6-2013/
What is interesting is the tradition called Bankside Twelfth Night that is shown in Figure 15 above (Hill, 2014). This tradition has its roots in the time of the Crusaders and is celebrated in winter, in January. The ’Holly Man’ is dressed in foliage and arises from the Thames in order to symbolize the fertility for the following year. Moreover, cyclists start their journey from Greenwich and they try to pursue the sun which is rising on Primorse Hill. Besides, there is said to be the Goat Race. Such an interesting place is the Greater London that the Londoners jump to a central lake during Christmas, in the middle of winter, and swim in the cold water. Moreover, there is believed to be the Pearly Queens and Kings Harvest Festival, which takes place in autumn.
1.5. Mentality of Londoners
People all around the world are the same; indeed, they feel no different and they have the same dreams to pursue. However, they can differ a little due to the various backgrounds, religion, traditions, and environment in which they live. Londoners have been shaped by all of these factors; thus, they might have a little bit different views on some matters and the way of life (see Figure 16). So, what shapes their mentality? Who is a typical Londoner? Let’s try to answer these ambigous questions.
Figure 16. Londoners. Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704164004575547701061890026
To begin with, Londoners are not free from any kind of problems. It is said that a lot of teenagers get pregnant and the number of pregnant teenagers is the greatest in the European Union. What is more, the serious problem is with obesity and the homeless. Next, many homeless people live in the street begging for money. Unfortunately, the money in many cases is spent on alcohol and drugs (Heine & Kaczmarek, 2006). Busing (2013) makes us focus on a different kind of problems. People in London speak English, of course, but there are said to be a lot of foreigners there, and sometimes communication between them can lead to ambiguous situations due to different accents, etc.
Figure 17. Swaminarayan Temple. Source: http://londonmandir.baps.org/
Besides, what shapes Londoner’s mentality is religion. The majority of Londoners belong the Church of England which was founded by Henry VIII with the act of supremacy in 1534. Thus, there are connections between the Church of England and English politics. Because of these connection, religion is taught in public schools. Now, students are free to choose which religion they would like to study because of multiculturalism in London. What is more, priests in London can get married. Not only can men become priests, but also women can become priestesses if they wish. The Greater London is composed of various religions; there are said to be Catholics, Jews, Baptists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Presbyterians, etc. Obviously, there are people who do not believe in anything; atheists are quite a big group in London (Heine & Kaczmarek, 2006). What is more, The Greater London is composed of several Anglican churches such as St Paul's Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral, Westminster Abbey (Barrow, 2013b). In Westminster Abbey queens and kings used to be crowned. Next, according to Census from the year 2001, in London there is a huge group of Jews who ran away from Nazi Germany. Bevis Marks is one of the oldest synagogues in the Greater London. In addition, Hindus are also a big group; Indians who live in London belong to this church. They built their temple called Swaminarayan Temple, which was made of marble and limestone taken from India. This sacred building can be seen in Figure 17 above. Not only did Hindus build their temples, but also Muslims who founded their mosques, their places of worship. Central London Mosque in Regent's Park is one of the most impressive places where they gather and worship.
Figure 18. Hyde Park. Source: http://barryhouse.co.uk/london-by-boris-bike/
What characterizes Londoners is also their daily routine. Life in London seems to be fast. Cars are constantly driven, people constantly run, birds constantly sing. It is said that Londoners are the most diligent people of all; their work appears to be never-ending. But, afternoons they usually have time to go to clubs, gyms, swimming pools, or do some physical exercises (Heinke & Kaczmarek, 2006). Furthermore, despite the fact that London is associated with rain and clouds, there are also sunny days and Londoners are happy with them (Busing, 2013). Speaking of sunny days, Londoners adore spending their free time in parks in the fresh air, for they adore green. London seems to be urbanized but the truth is that there are hundreds of parks and gardens in which Londoners are keen to spend their free time. Besides, it is thought that museums and attractions are only for tourists. Not exactly; tourists spots are filled with citizens who are happy to come into contact with culture and history. Thus, a stereotypical Londoner works very hard and after the hard work, he or she walks to pubs or gyms in order to wind down. On sunny days a Londoner spends his or her free time in parks or in a museum. One of the most famous parks is Hyde Park, as illlustrated by Figure 18 above.
Figure 19. King’s College. Source: http://kcgs.soc.srcf.net/Welcome
Education is the last factor that shapes Londoners’ mentality. Students have to go to school by the age of 16 (Heinke & Kaczmarek, 2006). Comprehensive schools (public schools) and public schools (private schools) are not obligatory. Greater London is full of sophisticated universities such as London’s School of Economics, King’s College (see Figure 19), University College, and Imperial College. The majority of students want to possess the degree; some of them intend to possess the title master. Unfortunately, the college tuition is incredibly high so students take loans and after graduating from the university, they are in debt.
1.6. Conclusion
To sum up, Greater London is an outstanding place. It is composed of impressive tourists spots, historical buildings, red cars, and the Royal Guards. All of them are the symbols of this big city. What is more, Greater London is known to be multicultural; people of various races, religions, and beliefs live there. They speak different languages and belong to different social classes. Greater London is exceptional because of its tradition; the majority of customs is connected with the Royal Family and the country as a kingdom. The way of life, different problems, religion, the daily routine, and education are factors that shape Londoners. Furthermore, they are proud of their literature: of contemporary writers and those from the past. What is important for Londoners is the history of their city. London is a capital of the United Kingdom and as a result, this city has witnessed historical changes, invasions, the rule of dynasties, revolutions, battles, wars, and moreover it experienced Britain’s ups and downs.
1.7. References
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