Buckingham Palace

With its architecturally defined profile, this is one of London’s most popular historical buildings. Buckingham Palace was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. Later restored by Nash, the present façade was planned by Sir Aston Webb in 1913. At the west end of the Mall, Buckingham Palace is the London residence of the Sovereign. When the Queen is here, the royal standard flutters over the palace. The Royal Mews, in Buckingham Palace Road, house the coaches and horses used on all state occasions and are open to the public on Wednesday and Thursday. The Queen’s Gallery, also in Buckingham Palace Road, has special exhibitions from the Royal collection and may be visited every day except Monday. In its entirety, the Palace and the beautiful gardens which surround it occupy an area of approximately 40 acres. Altogether this is one of the most interesting places in London for the tourist.

The ceremony of the Changing of the Guards that takes place daily at eleven o’clock in the morning, constitutes one of the pageants that provokes most interest among tourists. Every day a large crowd of people gather to see this famous and traditional ceremony. It is an event that, in spite of its regularity, appears vested with that solemn classical ritual, of purely British flavour, that confers on the protocol surrounding the monarchy of the United Kingdom an appearance which is nobly aristocratic, and yet lively and popular at the same time. It is something typically and intimately of London’s character.

The East End

London is a city of great contrast. Its western part is the richest. The poorest part of London is the East End.

The East End grew with the spread of industries to the east of the City, and the growth of the port of London. It covers a wide area. A part like Bethnal Green, which was once a country village, is quite different from the areas down by the river, where there are many wharfs and warehouses.

It is also one of those areas of London where people from abroad have come to find work. For centuries foreigners have made London their home. Some have had to leave their country for religious or political reasons. Others have wanted to find a better life. Some brought new skills and started new industries. These days, many Jews and Bengalis live in the East End, and within a small area you can see a mosque, a church and a synagogue.

The East End is especially famous as the centre of the clothing industry (or rag-trade) in London. The East End markets are famous throughout the world. Street-salesmen promise that the gods are of the highest quality and much cheaper than those you can buy in the West End.

Traditionally someone borne in the East End is known as a cockney although this name is now given to anyone who speaks like a Londoner. Typically they change some vowel sounds so that the sound in “late” becomes more like that in “light”. Like some foreign learners of English they seem to have a few problems with “th” and use an “f” instead: “nuffink like it”.

During the last century, East End criminals developed a special kind of slang or language which made it difficult for the police to understand them. In certain parts of London this slang is still used, and some expressions have passed into normal, everyday English.

The East End is the poorest part of London. It is the most densely populated district of London. There are poor houses, grey and black with smoke. Narrow dirty streets are lined by miserable houses and slums. St. Giles is the heart of London slums, the worst quarter of London. Most of the working people live in the East End. All the factories, mills, workshops and docks are concentrated in the East End.

Thus we may say that the East End is the hands of London, those hands which built the banks of the City, the palaces, hotels, theatres, rich houses and department stores in the West End.

USING THE INFORMATION ABOUT LONDON YOU RECEIVED EARLIER AND THE MAP OF THE CITY ORGANIZE AN EXCURSION TO A GROUP OF RUSSIAN TOURISTS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN IN LONDON BEFORE.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16