2007-10-11-016_1_1 London Hyde Park Fog

2007-10-11-016_1_1 London Hyde Park Fog, originally uploaded by Martin-James.

I'm often asked about London's Fogs by people who live outside the British Isles. 'Peasoupers' or 'London Particulars", thick fogs described by Charles Dickens and Conan Doyle, used to occur frequently, and were due to pollution. These fhick fogs were also the origin of the colours exploited by Turner, Whistler, and Monet, in the paintings they made of London in the nineteenth Century. In December 1952 'The Great Smog of London' occurred, this was an exceptionally thick, polluted atmospheric fog that caused an estimated 4000 deaths. Following this a series of Clean Air acts were passed, these banned the use of coal in London and other cities. The result has been that fogs are now rare in London, we have only a few days of fog in a year, and it's very exceptional for it to last all day. We had some thick mist in Hyde Park at the beginning of October (it cleared soon after sunrise), however, I took some photos of the fog over the Serpentine.

London Calling

London Calling, originally uploaded by Princess Valium.

"What, I have often asked myself, really constitutes the charm of London, that something about London which satisfies you as only Rome does, that queer, disturbing vision of bridges, spires, towers, and crowded streets which comes to you at moments when you are far away and brings with it so much pain as pleasure?
"The answer is to be found in history. Behind everything in London is something else, and behind that, is something else still; and so on through the centuries, so that London as we see her is only the latest manifestation of other Londons, and to love her is to plunge into ancestor-worship.
"London is a place where millions of people have been living and dying for a very long time on the same plot of earth, drenching it with their blood, glorifying it with their nobility or degrading it with their villany, pulling it down and building it up, generation after generation, yet never destroying the vision of an earlier day."

Pride of London

Pride of London, originally uploaded by BombDog.

The mighty St Pauls from the Tate Modern. Wren's masterpiece is simply awesome - inside and out.
shot with Canon EOS 20D.

Intense London sky

Intense London sky, originally uploaded by bekahpaige.

Canary Wharf, London, UK

Canary Wharf, London, UK, originally uploaded by nardip.

Towering heights of London office views

One Canada Square, 8 Canada Square and 25 Canada Square are the 3 largest buildings in London today. They are respectively 235m, 200m and 200m in height. 25 Canada Square is occupied by Citigroup (middle building). One Canada Square is the tallest building in the entire UK (just behind it). 8 Canada Square is the world headquarters of HSBC and in April 2007 (to the right of citigroup), it became Britain's first building to be sold for more than £1 billion.

London City Hall

London City Hall, originally uploaded by J.Salmoral.

City Hall in London, informally known as the "Leaning Tower of Pizzas" or "Fosters Nutsack" (see also 30 St Mary Axe), is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. It stands on the south bank of the River Thames, in the More London development by Tower Bridge. Designed by Norman Foster, it opened in July 2002.

The building has an unusual bulbous shape, intended to reduce the building's surface area and thus improve energy efficiency. It has been compared variously to Darth Vader's helmet, a misshapen egg, a woodlouse or a motorcycle helmet. London Mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a "glass testicle". Its designers reportedly saw the building as a giant sphere hanging over the Thames, but opted for a more conventionally rooted building instead. The building has no front or back on conventional terms but derives its shape from a modified sphere.

London Calling

London Calling, originally uploaded by Nuno Leitao.

Now get this
London calling, yes, I was there, too
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
And after all this, won't you give me a smile?
London Calling

--The Clash

A Black Cab In China Town, London

A Black Cab In China Town, London, originally uploaded by mambo1935.

China Town street scene in London.
Here you can see a famous "Black Cab" (Hackney Carriage) to the lower-left of this photo. Don't miss it when you visit London!

Black Cabs (Hackney Carriages)
Motorised hackney cabs, traditionally all black in colour, have the popular name of black cabs, although other colours also appear, most frequently when advertising campaigns call for the respraying of large groups of cabs in vivid brand liveries.

In most of the United Kingdom hackney-carriage operators use conventional four-door saloon cars, but London (and some other cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh) use specially-designed hackney carriages manufactured by just one company - LTI. These vehicles allow up to 5 passengers in the back. Luggage usually goes in the passenger compartment, but travel in the front next to the driver — these vehicles have no front passenger-seat, although a door has replaced the original open side. All models can also accommodate wheelchairs in the back. Black cabs have a turning circle of only 25 feet.

In London, hackney-carriage drivers have to pass a test called The Knowledge to demonstrate they have an intimate knowledge of London streets.

There have been different makes of taxis through the years including:

Beardmore
FX3
FX4
FAIRWAY
METROCAB
TX1
TX2

Above London..

Above London.., originally uploaded by little_frank.

Landing London Heathrow airport: wonderful London from above.

LONDON London Eye

LONDON London Eye, originally uploaded by photoidias.

The view from the top of the London Eye still ranks on the top ten of the most amazing views of my life. I recommend that you plan your journey accurately, try to get in just before the sunset so that you watch it from the top.

London's Best

London's Best, originally uploaded by Dimitry B.

Almost all iconic London landmarks in a single frame. 1 St Paul's, 2 churches, 2 skyscrapers and a routemaster...

It was quite surprising to see a Routemaster in service.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London

St. Paul's Cathedral, London, originally uploaded by Dimitry B.

St. Paul's looked a bit like Capitol on this cold winter morning, St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, England and the seat of the Bishop of London.

St Pancras and the British Library...

St Pancras and the British Library..., originally uploaded by sugarlegs.

under a glowering sky!

The London Eye on Christmas day

The London Eye on Christmas day, originally uploaded by Dimitry B.

4:47 PM

4:47 PM, originally uploaded by Dior Man™.

Embankment Sphinx

Embankment Sphinx, originally uploaded by j. kunst.

London is burning

London is burning, originally uploaded by Dior Man™.

Night London Panorama with Full Moon

Night London Panorama with Full Moon, originally uploaded by Dimitry B.

View from the end of Millenium Bridge. The camera was resting on the only bit of bridge which doens't shake because of runners, bikes and wind gusts.

Moon rising above the Southwark Bridge. City landmarks and the new City are visible in the distance. Street lights are reflecting in the thames.

Southwark Bridge is an arch bridge for traffic linking Southwark and the City across the River Thames, in London, England. It was designed by Ernest George and Basil Mott and opened in 1921. The bridge is owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the Corporation of London.

london at night

london at night, originally uploaded by flappingwings.

Looking south west from the Waterloo Bridge. (Best viewed large)

Exposure time: 15 seconds.

London, England.

London City Informatin

London (pronunciation (help·info); IPA: /ˈlʌndən/) is the largest urban area and the capital of England and the United Kingdom,^[7] and is also often referred to as the Capital of the World[2][3][4]. An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans.^[8] Since its settlement, London has been the centre of many important movements and phenomena throughout history, such as the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival.^[9][10][11] The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited mediaeval boundaries; but since at least the 19th century the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis which has developed around it.^[12] Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region of England^[13] and the Greater London administrative area,^[14] with its own elected mayor and assembly.^[15]

It is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres,^[16] and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city.^[17] London boasts four World Heritage Sites: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; the historic settlement of Greenwich; and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.^[18] As a result, the city has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and its popularity has increased over the years due to economic growth.^[19]

London has a diverse population that includes a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 languages are spoken within the city.^[20] As of 2006, it has an official population of 7,512,400 within the boundaries of Greater London^[2] and is the most populous municipality in the European Union. As of 2001, the Greater London Urban Area has a population of 8,278,251^[3] and the metropolitan area is estimated to have a total population of between 12 and 14 million.^[4][5]

History

Main article: History of London

Geography

Main article: Geography of London

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "London"