LONDON, I

november 2014

2 LONDON I

PAGE 7 Pub Crawl

OUR TEAM

PAGE 3 – Editorial PAGE 4 – Camden & Amy Winehouse

PAGE 9 – No Easy Livin’

PAGE 14 – Street Music

PAGE 16 – Where to Catch a Movie

PAGE 18 – Get the London Look

PAGE 19 – London Week

MIND THE INDEX

Chief EditorEva Coolman

LayoutTino OksanenSimon Karlsson

WritersLana Dalle, Leen van Melkebeke, Kirsten Plücker, Liz Kappert, Tino Oksanen, Simon Karlsson, Eva Coolman, Hanna Meyer Thuestad

Video crewHanna Meyer ThuestadStefan Hagen

EditorsLana Dalle, Leen van Melkebeke

“This is international. Big. Mega. Radio. Smasher”.William James Adams, 2010

PAGE 12 – Requiem for the

Tin Pan Alley?

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16,8 million people. That’s the high number of tourists the British capital welcomed last year. If you visit London, all you can see is people who chose the city as their destination for a city trip. Just take the tube and you will find them, extremely confused in front of the tube maps, trying to figure out how the hell they will get to their next destination.

But what’s it like to live in London itself? How are London’s inhabitants dealing with the advantages and disadvantages of the city’s booming tourism? A large part of them are currently dreaming of a better bike infrastructure in the city, so they can get rid of the daily traffic jams and those irritating tourists on buses. But it looks like they will need to give up their fight for now, because other parties -such as London’s business community- don’t want to see it happen. Meanwhile, other inhabitants need to emigrate out of the city centre because of the extremely high rental prices.

It looks like London’s city council has to face more than just one challenge. But in this magazine, called ’London, I’, we concentrate on the Londoner’s themselves. We do cover some negative subjects about the daily life in London, like the threat that the music centre ‘Denmark street’ has to deal with and the high rental prices for students, but we didn’t forget about the other, more positive, side of the story. We also cover how much advantage the city’s inhabitants get from the overload of tourists. Last but not least, we address the other thing London people are known for: style.

Eva Coolmaneditor-in-chief

4 LONDON I

The Camden Market Holding Corporation sponsored the statue that sculptor Scot Eaton carefully made with the blessing of Amy Winehouse’s parents, Mitch and Janis. And then, after months of waiting, the statue was finally revealed on what would have been her 31st birthday. I walked around Camden to find out what real Londoners think of the statue.

Text and photos: Leen van Melkebeke

Surrounded by the typical alternative shops and people in busy Camden Lock, I made my way to the Stables Market where a month ago a life-size statue of the deceased singer Amy Winehouse was put up, just inches from where she used to sell vintage clothing as a teenager.

Greeted by the amazing smell of dozens of different cuisines I find the statue on a platform in the middle of the market that has been a part of London since 1854. Even during an extremely windy London day the place is flooded with people. There is loud music blaring through the sound systems while I see a big crowd of tourists posing with the Amy Winehouse statue. The bronze sculpture portrays Amy how she really was. Sassy hand on the hip, with her traditional hairstyle -the beehive-, and very high heels. Even on a chilly day like this, more than a month after the unveiling, there are still people lining up to take pictures with the statue. It must do wonders for the market, commercially seeing.

Wonders for business

A handful of clothing and souvenir stores surround the platform where the sculpture was placed. One of the shops closest to the statue is a vintage clothing shop called ‘What goes around comes around’ and as I walk in I immediately notice they’re not only selling vintage clothes. Half of the store is filled with

Amy Winehouse souvenirs and gadgets. From t-shirts and hats to lighters and marijuana bongs. Everything has her face on it.

One of the managers of the clothing shop who’s name is -believe it or not- also Amy (27), tells me Camden Stables Market is always a very busy and touristy place but now more than ever since the statue was placed right in front of her shop. “The day that I don’t see anyone taking a picture next to her has yet to come. It’s incredible how many tourists pass by here just to see her, every day. It’s doing wonders for our business.”None of the shops seemed to be prepared for the massive impact the statue would have on the market. “At first we didn’t sell anything of hers, but tourists kept coming in looking for t-shirts and memorabilia and stuff, so the smart move was to start selling those things”, Amy said.

Continued on page 6

Amy will always be a part of Camden

Camden Street Market. Photo by Leen Van Melkebeke

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The statue of Amy Wine-house, recently unveiled in Camden. Photo by Leen van Melkebeke.

6 LONDON I

Amy loved Camden

Amy Winehouse loved Camden. And it loved her. Maybe even more so now. Hundreds of shops and food stands are profiting from the statue being there. Amy from ‘What goes around comes around’ even told me where to find the singer’s favourite food stand that do-esn’t hide that fact and has apparently put up a big sign claiming to have “Amy Winehouse’s favourite foods”.I was disappointed when I found the closed food stand. I was looking forward to experien-cing some Amy Winehouse-approved Asian food.

An honour

It is more than obvious that the singer, who passed away three years ago because of alcohol poisoning, is still missed very dearly. I spot one girl who has been taking pictures with the statue for quite a while. “I actually live in London so I’m not a tourist”, Sophie (25) says.

“I just hadn’t found the time to visit the statue before, and now that I’m finally here I can’t seem to leave.”

Sophie has been a fan of the Rehab singer for 7 years and is happy that Amy and Amy’s pa-rents received the honour of getting this statue put up in a neighbourhood that she loved. And they are clearly happy with the outcome. As Amy’s dad said in an interview with Rolling Stone: “Getting people to come here, spend some time with Amy and remember her in a positive way: that for me is wonderful.”

“I already visited the place where she used to live in Camden Square, but seeing this is even more special”, Sophie added. The passionate fan doesn’t think she’ll come back to see the statue again. “It would just be a constant re-minder that she isn’t here anymore.”

Amy worked in Camden when she was growing up, she lived there, she had friends there, she loved the place. And now she will always be a part of it.

Photo by Leen van Melkebeke

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1. Princess Louise

This is a Victorian pub with ceilings that seem to reach the sky, golden mirrors and nicely decorated walls. Some would say that it is a little kitsch, but I enjoy the atmosphere. It feels like stepping into a time machine that takes you back to the old wealthy London. The pub is named after Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter and had been founded in 1872. Quite recently, the building had some renovation work done, to bring it back to its rich and glamourous state. A special feature in this pub is that there are multiple rooms with all their own entrance, perfect when a group of pe-ople need a little privacy. High Holborn 208

A life of a Londoner would not be complete without a regular vi-sit to a great pub. In London there are all sorts of pubs: Old pubs, modern pubs, brown pubs, hipster pubs and many more. Here are four of the best pubs in town, according to Londoners.

2. The Hawly Arms

The Hawly Arms is a very popular pub in Camden Town, London North. This area is very well known for its markets, vinta-ge scene and clubs. The pub stands out from the crowd by the red façade that is hard to miss when walking by. The bar has gained in popularity by the regular visitations of artists like the deceased Amy Winehouse, and Peter Doherty. Every weekend there is in an open stage, where bands can play music throughout the night. Castlehaven Road 2

The Big Pub Crawl

Text and photos: Liz Kappert

The Victorian pub “Princess Louise”.

“The Hawly Arms”

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4. London Stone

A very alternative pub can be found in the heart of the city. The London Stone bar is a mix between an old English castle and an underground dungeon. It is named after ‘The London Stone’, which was a monu-ment used by the Romans as a cen-tral meeting point. The bar is deco-rated with mirrors, statues of trolls, skeletons and skulls. The cabins are filled with all sorts of mysterious ‘witch-bottles’. The interior might be a bit too unique for some, but it attracts a lot of visitors who want to experience this special location.

Cannon Street 105-109.

3. The Anchor

This lounge is a classic typically British pub that is always packed, mostly with tourists. This is a very popular club because of its big out-door terrace and its view on the Tha-mes. The seats are comfortable and the staff is friendly. The location is very convenient for tourists since it is walking distance from most of the sightseeing spots, Tate Modern and the London eye.

Park Street 34

To the right; “the Anchor”Below; the “London Stone” pub, an alternative setting.

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No Easy Living

Studying in London is a dream for many. But it is expensive, especially when you need somwhere to live. ‘It’s hard to receive uni funding, and in

the few weeks I’ve been here, I’ve met a lot of students already who are struggling so much with these high renting prices’,

says a Law student, who moved to London recently.

BY LANA DALLE

Photo by Tino Oksanen

10 LONDON I

International students from all over the world have made their way into the cosmopolitan that we call London. With London having one of the best universities in the world, it logically attracts rich students. This has always been the case, but starting this school year, wealthy foreign students are now making up one of the largest property rental groups in London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, leaving students from middle class families in difficult positions.

By Lana Dalle

Christian Walsh (22) is a UK resident who is currently studying for a graduate diploma in Law at BPP London Waterloo University after doing a Bachelor’s degree in History at the University of York. He was born in Peterborough, but moved to York three years ago for his studies. From October on, he has been taking classes in Waterloo, a district of central London. With its high amount of universities in the area, such as King’s College and BPP London Waterloo University, it presents a lively student neighbourhood. The area presents a lot of young people, cheap restaurant promotions, and you come across popular tourist attractions such

as the London Eye and the Big Ben. Not a bad place to live, you’d assume. In reality, it is hard to find a decent place near uni campuses. ‘I moved to London three weeks ago, and I still haven’t found a flat. I am now living in my father’s apartment on the edge of financial district, who is working as a solicitor in the city. Therefore, I’m not obliged to pay any rent at all, but I am aware of the incredibly high renting prices in London. From what I’ve heard and seen myself, a normal price for renting a room as a student in the centre of London will cost you at least 700 pounds a month. You simply cannot go under this amount, according to Christian.

In the weeks that Christian has been here, he’s met a lot of students who are struggling with these high renting prices. ‘If they find a decent room at all, they need to share their apartment with flatmates they barely know, or resort to student accommodation. Student accommodation sounds more attractive than it looks, a lot of student flats that are provided by universities force you to leave your room after one year, in order to make room for new students every year. They also prefer renting rooms to students who need more support financially. And on the other hand, there’s also the wealthy students who can afford an

‘A tiny room for 700 pounds per month is not an exception’

Right: Finding and funding an

apartement to a reasonable price is

becoming something near-impossible.

Photo by Tino Oksanen

LONDON I 11

expensive flat in London, but are driving up the renting price, making sure that native Londoners are driven out of the city’, he says.According to Christian, it’s not only wealthy students that are driving this group out into the suburbs, it’s the wealthy foreigners e.g. the Russian oligarchs and Arab Sheikhs, who are prepared to pay a lot more for the same property than other people. ‘Foreign investment in specific areas of London is also responsible for driving up prices in those areas and creating pockets of exorbitantly priced real estate i.e. you pay a premium of £x to live in that particular area. The other factor is London’s reputation as a major financial destination in every sense of the word – big businesses with more spending power than individuals could ever amass are buying up central areas of London to build or house their head and national offices.’

When it comes to London losing its distinct cultural identities because of gentrification, and wealthy students moving into more and more areas in London, Student Annie Hermans (24) has an interesting opinion on this. A student room in Willesden Green, outside of London. Rent: 189 pounds/week.

Annie was born in Groningen, but left the Netherlands for London when she was eighteen

to study Linguistics. She started her PhD, focussing on “the commodification of cosmetic surgery procedures through the language of advertising” at King’s College London the beginning of this month. As we sit in her small, yet cosy apartment in Willesden Green, filled with pieces of furniture from thrift shops, she’s talking in a monotone voice about the topic. ‘It has become impossible for students coming from middleclass families to both study and live in big cities as London. I know so many students who really struggle to pay rent; nearly everyone I know has had months where they were just forced to live off instant noodles and soup, getting really excited when they would have a proper meal. I myself actually had to move out of the centre as London was just getting way too expensive. It’s nearly impossible to live off a government loan. There’s so many (overseas) students who can easily afford to pay 200/250 pounds a week that it’s increasingly harder for “normal” people to find a place. I mean, what landlord is going to accept someone who can ‘only’ pay 600 per month when he/she can get a thousand pounds per month…Personally, I find it really hard to see all these rich kids who brag about their newest Louis Vuitton bag when I know how many people are struggling to just get food on the table.’

12 LONDON I

Text and photos: Simon Karlsson

Since 1911, when the first music publisher moved to number 8, Denmark Street has been a center for music in London. The golden ages of the “Tin Pan Alley” was in the 50s, when songwriters crea-ted magic and recording studios flourished on the street, and live music sprang out of music cafés as la Giaconda. Bowie started his career at Denmark Street. Elton John wrote Your Song on the street. And Thin Lizzy shopped for guitars there. Today, the recording studios are gone, as well as the elite of British music, but the traditions live on.

Denmark Street doesn’t amaze you at first sight. It’s a narrow one, with one-way traffic. North of the street the big redevelopment of Tottenham Court Road station area feels like a wall. The musical thea-tres are close as well, and the winds of Soho sweep in to add an urban, cultural feeling.

The wings of history are well hidden, until you start looking for the details. More or less legendary shops for guitars, saxophones, drums, amplifiers, recor-ding equipment et cetera shows their secrets only to

those who enter, which is probably easy if you aren’t a musician. Hank’s Guitars with its two floors of guitar heaven; Regents Sounds with their Fenders; and the sax shop containing more brass instru-ments than one can imagine.

But how is business going for instrument retail, in a dance music era of which much is digitally made? Is there still demand for over half a dozen instrument shops on the same street in the middle of London?

“It has got nothing to do with modern music versus old school rock ‘n roll”, says Andy at Tom’s Drum Shop in one of the corners of Denmark St. “We still have around the same amount of customers now as 10 years ago. The only difference is a growing part of the customers are shopping online, so we’ve maybe got a little fewer customers inside the shop”.

Andy doesn’t think the demand for instruments and live music has fallen or will fall. “People still like a good jam. And most popular music acts of today use “real” instruments, not that many artist are fully computerized, I think”.

Denmark Street: London’s musical Mecca of Denmark Street has changed dramatically since its peak in the 50s and 60s, but remains a nostalgic center for music in the UK. Even though the street is facing redevelopment and online shopping has created a fall in physical customers visiting the music shops, “the future doesn’t seem too bad”, according to street regulars.

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Another reason for the continued success for music shops at Denmark St is their specialization. “We sell drums and things affiliated with drums. The next store sells Fender guitars. Another shop acoustic guitars. In a way, we don’t compete directly with each other”.

Even if the instrument retail business is thriving at Denmark St, it faces new challenges in the near future. Development firm Consolidated Develop-ments are planning major surgery on the musical center, including housing space, an 800-seat under-ground music venue, a hotel and new retail spaces to accompany the soon finished Tottenham Court Road transport-hub. Even though parts of the street is listed as heritage sites protected from demolition, many inhabitants and frequent visitors are afraid the planned redevelopment will destroy Denmark Street’s soul.

“I’ve been going here for 40 years, and I can tell you it’s a fucking disaster” says 54 year-old musician Jamie Barnes. “It’s all about the atmosphere. I know where to go. I know the people, the places. If they are building some new, shiny steel castles, where’s that going to take us? The atmosphere will die, I’m sure of that”.

Barnes has been playing in different venues in Lon-don since the early 80s, and Denmark Street has

always been an important part. “Everybody used to talk about it. More recently it’s been a meeting point for old birds like myself”.The redevelopment plans haven’t received many positive responses. In an interview with music ma-gazine Mojo in June, a guitar shop owner expressed fears for the survival of the small, traditional stores on the street. A petition has started, aiming at stop-ping the planned demolition of many of the houses on the street.

But in the same article, the owner of Regent’s Sound has a more calm approach. “This street is a histo-rical site, and the landlords of the street are quite aware of that. They want to keep it a music place, which is very good, and I know that for a fact”. The shopkeeper also thinks more business activity will be a good thing for everyone. “There will be Star-bucks, but that’s the way it works. And I’m sure that will increase the foot flow around here. Hopefully that’ll just mean more money”.

What happens to the legendary “Tin Pan Alley” is still to be seen. The street has survived moderniza-tion before. It is legendary, just thinking Paranoid by Black Sabbath was recorded here makes one shiver. So maybe Mr. Barnes is wrong. Maybe the atmosphere, the soul, of Denmark Street can survi-ve the horrors of redevelopment.

Still Going Strong

14 LONDON I

Text and photos: Tino Oksanen

The sun is finally warming up Trafalgar Square in central London after a few days of both rain and storms. The sound of the fountain in the middle of the square fades as I pass, and the unique sound of gypsy swing hits my ear as soon as the ambulance sirens fade, and Gyps ’n’ Progress is just finishing a classic Django Reinhardt song. ”It hasn’t been a good day today, so far we have earned nothing”, one of the guitarists, Andrea Todesco, says.

It’s half ten in the morning and the tourists are walking around the plaza without any direction. ”It’s like fishing, you can never tell which is the best spot at a certain time”, he states. ”But this is a good spot”. The spot is certainly good, if you look at it from the audience’s perspective. Just in front of the National Gallery, with hundreds of people passing by every minute. A few yards away, another street performer appears. He has a bigger speaker than Andrea, Fabio and Alexis, and his loud

electronic music forces them to move. ”You always have to interact with people, get along with other buskers, and make deals with people that don’t want a deal”, Andrea says. Whilst quickly packing their stuff and moving a hundred yards away, Fabio speaks with the other street performer. ”You can’t be really upset with him”, Andrea says while moving his stuff to the sound of some dance music.

The group has been playing together for about seven months and consists out of two acoustic guitars and a double bass, all amplified so the sound can reach the audience and their music won’t get drowned out by the sounds of the cars, people and other performers. Originating from both Greece and Italy, the trio is now taking over London, with a potential audience of millions of people. Music has always been a part of their lives, and as Andrea puts it: ”I’ve been playing for too long.” ”Busking is a good way to practice”, Andrea tells me, ”it’s like doing a rehearsal, only paid.” On a good day, the trio can easily make 50 pounds each in a few hours. But it differs a

Busking, i.e. performing in the street, is becoming harder and harder in London, due to regulations and restrictions. Another issue is the depending on the audience. You never know in advance where you should be, and if the earnings will be enough to make a living.

LONDON I 15

lot, and this day seems more quiet regardless of the amount of people and the surprisingly unbritish weather.

More people pass, and to the sound of the widely known song ’Sway’ a few of them also stop to listen. Pictures are taken, but so far the guitar case, which is used for small signs of appreciation, remains empty. Today, as it seems, is not going to be the greatest of days, Andrea points out. Planning on playing two more hours, the trio will head home after four hours of performing. ”Then I will practice other stuff”, he says. ”We do quite a lot street performing, but also other venues and pub concerts.” All three members are full time musicians, Andrea explains.

Gyps ’n’ Progress have a license for busking, in the Camden area. They had to apply for a license, but it also includes certain restrictions. For playing with amplifiers a different application has to be made, which costs 47 pounds.

Busking in general has been debated this year, and according to the deputy mayor of London for education and culture, Munira Mirza, busking is somewhat disappearing from the streets of London. Therefore she has set up a busking taskforce, to bring together London’s local authorities, to look at the

problems they face, and try to work out a solution. The mayor of London agrees, and earlier this year he stated that something has to be done, before the city is completely free of buskers. He has actively shown his support for buskers, and campaigned to make life easier for them. Buskers are still common, though. For example, the tube stations are places where buskers can easily be found. According to several Londoners, the best places to enjoy a good performance are Covent Garden, Camden, Trafalgar Square and certain tube stations.

As lunchtime approaches and the people passing by hear the famous intro of ’Minor Swing’ the audience grows bigger, but it is still not big enough. The biggest fan so far, though, seems to be a too tall version of the Star Wars character Yoda, trying to get some coins by hovering a few feet over the pavement.

”Look at the audience”, Alexis says after their last song. “This is how people in London are, they don’t appreciate good music”, he says while pointing at the crowd gathering around the man with the cd-player and the speaker. ”If you go to other countries, the people there appreciate good, live music. But I can’t complain, we usually do good.”

’It’s like fishing, you never know where the best spots are’

16 LONDON I

London has been the decor for many blockbusters over the years, Harry Potter is only one of hundred examples. I wanted to find out if these box office successes still have a big fluency on the daily tourism of UK’s capital. First stop: Notting Hill.

Text and photos: Eva Coolman

3900 pounds. That is the amount a big movie fan paid in 2000 in an auction for the famous blue door from the movie Notting Hill. Fifteen years after the release of the movie, tourists are still posing in front of a blue door in a side street of Portobello Road. Yes, the door has been replaced. And yes, the door has been black for a couple of years. But still, many tourists are visiting the place where bookshop keeper William (Hugh Grant) and Hollywood star Anna (Julia Roberts) fell in love. That became clear when entering ‘The Notting Hill Bookshop’, the bookstore that still has the original interior of the bookstore on which William’s store in the movie was based on.

Flower stalls

The owner of this cosy bookstore wasn’t only selling books when I came in, he was also responding to tourists’ questions. Lucy, the shop assistant, confirms they still get a lot of questions about the movie, but adds that that this is a good

thing. ‘ While other small bookstores in London are closing down because of financial problems due to the digital revolution, we have this extra reason for people to come here and buy a book. We get a good mix between locals and tourists -who sometimes aren’t particularly into books, that come inside to enjoy the cosy atmosphere. We sell some items with faces Notting Hill’s characters on, but most people buy a book. ’I continue my tour around Notting Hill – it was hard to leave the warm bookstore on such a rainy day- and walk down Portobello Road. Because of the rain, there aren’t as many flower stalls and food sellers as in the movie, but I do understand why people keep coming back to this place: the atmosphere is great.

Globe Tavern

I take the tube to the South side of the river Thames and get off at the underground station London Bridge. That is where I can find Borough Market. It is the place where Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) experienced all her love- and life struggles in the Bridget Jones’s Diary movie, premiered in 2001. As soon as I arrive at the market, I am overwhelmed by the smell of food, the colourful stalls and the lively atmosphere. Bridget wasn’t known for her good taste in clothes (and men?), but sure was good in choosing where to live. Her apartment in the movie is located

Still attractive after ten years?A look at London’s famous movie sets

LONDON I 17

above ‘The Globe Tavern’, a pub located in the middle of the market, even though the makers didn’t film inside the building. One of the doors of the pub is put forward in the movie as the entrance to her apartment. “Especially American tourists like the idea of drinking something in our pub” While I order a coke, the young barmaid Holy tells me that the number of visitors increased since the Bridget Jones movie and that the hype around the movie didn’t disappear. ‘People still come to this place to have a look at the door – it is a stop from the guided tour- and especially American tourists like the idea of drinking something in our pub. Most tourists are visiting the market itself, but a big part of them come to have a drink.’ However, movie fans here are at the right address. The sign on the wall of the building mentions that the Bridget Jones movie wasn’t the only movie the pub played a huge role in. Holy: ‘Actually, last Sunday, there was being filmed again for a new Hollywood film that is coming out, called Criminal.’

Hogwarts Express

Last but not least, I head to the famous spots of the Harry Potter movies. At King’s Cross St Pancras, the place where the Eurostar arrives, I

discover a different kind of tourism that I haven’t seen before on my tour. Large group of tourists are waiting to get on the photo on the famous spot where Harry and his friends boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time in 2001, the platform 9 3/4. Kids are running into the shop next to it, to buy some gadgets. Guides are yelling you can’t block the entrance next to the platform while taking pictures. This is definitely one of London’s most profitable movie locations, although the actual filming didn’t take place here. “Tourists are disappointed there isn’t even a sign of the Leaky Cauldron” I decide to take the underground again. This time my destination is the underground station Bank. There, I hope to find a sign of ‘The Leaky Cauldron”, in Bulls Head Passage, and “Diagon Alley”, both very important places in the Harry Potter movies. It results in a disappointment. “The Leaky Cauldron” is now an optician and I couldn’t find anything of “Diagon Alley”. The manager of “The M bar”, a bar very close to the optician, tells me I am not the only one who is disappointed after coming here. ‘Most tourists are disappointed there isn’t even as sign of “The Leaky Cauldron”.’ I guess she doesn’t care at all, because she is still earning money on the tourists who need to drink away their disappointment, just like me.

18 LONDON I

This is London, and these are Londoners. London is one of the worlds centres for fashion and innovative design, and here is a small sample of creativity in the streets of the British capital.

LONDON STREET STYLEPHOTOS BY LIZ KAPPERT

Margareth, 74Whiteleys

Emma, 24East End

Kiim, 67Norwood

Robert, 35Oxford Street

Luke, 24, & Nino, 23Camden Town Elizabeth, 78

Sloane SquareRuby, 29Camden Town

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Tips for a London weekMondayThe first thing you need to do is start your week with a full English breakfast. According to the English Breakfast Society ‘The full English breakfast is a centuries old British tradition which dates back to the early 1800’s, when the Victorians first perfected the art of eating breakfast and elevated the most important meal of the day into an art form.’

The full English breakfast consists of back bacon, eggs, British sausage, beans, tomato, mushrooms, black pudding and toast. Naturally with the breakfast comes a nice Earl Grey, which you need to drink with a little bit of milk and some sugar.

Don’t be fooled by the word ‘breakfast’ however. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the traditional full English breakfast has to be eaten at breakfast time. For it is such a substantial a meal that it can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

In London you can get a full English breakfast almost everywhere. Depending on the location and the extent of the breakfast, prices range between £4 and £12. And for those who don’t have enough time, try the continental breakfast; some toast (preferably black) and marmalade. Bon apetit!

TuesdayOne of the best things about London is that most museums are free. You can make a donation, but it’s not mandatory.

Especially Tate Modern is worth a visit. Tate first opened its doors to the public in 1897. Today Tate has four major sites including the national collection of British art from 1500 to

Monday: Breakfast

Text & Photos by Kirsten Plücker

the present day and international modern and contemporary art, which includes nearly 70,000 artworks.

When you’re done with the art, go to the 6th floor and enjoy the magnificent view while eating a scone with some double crème. The ultimate treatment after a strenuous day.

20 LONDON I

WednesdayOke, a Londoner probably thinks the next thing is for tourists, although I’m convinced that every Londoner has probably seen it: The changing of the guards.

For this you can go to Buckingham Palace or the Horse Guard Parade. With the second option you have to advantages. One is that it’s every day at 11.00 and it’s less crowded than Buckingham palace.

Life Guards have stood guard at Horse Guards, the official entrance to St James and Buckingham

Palace, since the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660

The Four ’O’ Clock Parade, also known as the Dismounting Ceremony takes place at 16:00 hours in the courtyard within the Horse Guards building. The 4 ’o’ Clock Parade started in 1894 when Queen Victoria found the entire guard drinking and gambling while on duty. As a punishment, she said they had to be inspected every day at 4pm by an officer for the next 100 years. The 100 years finished in 1994. However, the reigning Queen wanted the parade to continue as a tradition.

ThursdayTake a walk in Richmond Park! A recent survey has showed that the residents of wealthy Richmond upon Thames were among the happiest of England. And that’s no wonder, in the park you can let go of all your worries.

Richmond Park is three times the size of Central Park in New York. It was originally a hunting reserve of king Charles I and is famous for the hundreds of deer’s it still hosts and for it’s ‘hill.’

Richmond Hill rises a few hundred meters south of the city center. Though only 50 meters high, the view from its top has inspired many artists.

FridayLondoner’s love dressing up, especially for diner, theater and clubs. So the first thing you need to do on a Friday is find the right outfit. Preferably a dress and heels for the woman, and a suit or blazer for men.

Of course there are lot’s and lot’s of places you can have a nice dinner. But I’ve been to Barbecoa. Which is a restaurant owned by Jamie Oliver and barbecue expert Adam Perry Lang. With a view on the Saint Paul’s Cathedral and a own butchery on the ground floor, it really is a unique experience.

As a starter we had the smoked duck and the Cornish Crab. The duck which was really great, you could really taste the smokiness, but with the

chestnuts and the maple is wasn’t to dominant. The crab was medium, there wasn’t a lot of it on my plate and the taste was just average. As a main course we had the ribs and the burger with truffles. The ribs were really soft and almost melted on my tongue. The burger was also nice and better made-up than the ribs. Afterwards we were so full that we skipped the desert.

However, if you’re not a Londoner, don’t forget to bring a big wallet. Prices for starters range from £8 till £15 pounds. Prices for mains range from £19 till £75. There are several wines you can order in 175, 250of 500ml and of course per bottle. Cheapest is the 175ml Cantina di Tollo Madregale Bianco, for £5, the most expensive wine is a bottle of France Bordeaux the ‘Cheval Blanc 1er Grand Cru from ’95 for £670.

Friday: Barbecoa

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SaturdayAll Englishmen love everything that has to do with tradition, including antiques. If you’ve ever have the pleasure of visiting; take a look at the interior and don’t fear if it still looks like your grandma’s place. Old wooden furniture and flower wall paper are still considers to be of this age in England.

So, therefore go shopping for antiques and other second handed goods on Saturday at Portobello road market. The half mile of road contains more than a 100 market stalls and shops.

The Portobello road market began as a fresh-food market in the 19th century. It was the perfect place to benefit from the rich ladies and

gentlemen who lived in large residential houses in Paddington and Notting Hill.

It wasn’t until 1945 that the people began to sell their antiques and second handed household materials on the streets.

Now a substantial number of them is trading mainly on Saturday mornings. Nowadays the Portobello Road Market is the largest antiques market in the UK.

If you want to visit the market, just take the tube to Notting Hill station. However It’s best to arrive before 11:30am if you want to avoid the crowds.

SundayLondoners are very fond of their weekends. And definitely on their Sundays. Why? Because of the tradition of the Sunday roast.

Most of the times the Sunday roast contains meat, mashed potatoes, and gravy. However nowadays you see more and more variation on the Sunday menu’s.

Most of the restaurants and pubs in London have a special menu on Sundays. Also, it’s very common to lunch with dishes that are normally eaten for dinner. Think of Sheperd’s pie, salmon and roasted chicken.

Don’t you want to sit next to all the tourists? Visit Bumpkin! Bumpkin a local British Brasserie, near the national historic museum. They serve typically British dishes, made with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients. It’s £21 for a three course menu.

So end your week with a trip to the National, Science or Victoria and Albert museum and have a Sunday menu. Than travel safely back to home! Enjoy!

Saturday: Antiques

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